Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speak to the media during a joint press conference in Jerusalem (AP photo)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday signalled that Israel is preparing to move “soon” into the second phase of the US-sponsored Gaza ceasefire plan while adding that he’s set to meet US President Donald Trump this month.Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after their meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said, “We discussed how to bring an end to the Hamas rule in Gaza. We finished the first part.”
He added, “And then we very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult.”The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, in effect since 10 October, required Palestinian militants to release 47 living and deceased captives seized during the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 assault on Israel. At present, only the remains of an Israeli police officer are yet to be returned. The return of the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer killed in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack — along with Israel’s handover of 15 Palestinian bodies in exchange — would mark the completion of the first phase of Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan.Netanyahu also announced plans to meet US President Donald Trump later this month to discuss “opportunities for peace” in the region but didn’t give an exact date. Outlining the roadmap ahead, Netanyahu said, “And now we have a second phase, no less daunting, and that is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza.”He added that a third stage would follow: “There’s a third phase, and that is to deradicalise Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it’s done in the Gulf states, can be done in Gaza too.”The ceasefire remains fragile more than two months after it began, with both sides accusing the other of violating the terms.Meanwhile, Trump’s broader initiative outlines several sequential steps: establishing a truce, withdrawing Israeli forces, creating a new administrative structure for Gaza, and launching reconstruction in areas devastated by Israel’s military operations.Chancellor Merz began his first visit to Israel on Saturday evening, reaffirming Germany’s support even as bilateral relations have been strained by the Gaza conflict. Since taking office in May, Merz has frequently questioned the intensity of Israel’s military campaign.At the press conference, he said criticism of Israel was “possible and sometimes perhaps even necessary,” adding that “The relationship between Germany and Israel can withstand that. But criticism of the policies of the Israeli government must not be misused as a pretext for antisemitism.”
