Netanyahu: Israel and Hamas very close to second phase of ceasefire agreement

(Patria) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country and the Palestinian Hamas are expected to "very quickly move to the second phase of the ceasefire", after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu told reporters at a conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is visiting Israel, that the second phase of the ceasefire, which includes the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza, could begin as early as the end of the month.

Hamas still holds the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer killed on 7 October 2023, whose body was taken to Gaza.

The second phase also includes the deployment of an international force to secure Gaza, as well as the formation of an interim Palestinian government to run day-to-day affairs under the supervision of an international committee, chaired by US President Donald Trump.

Hamas claims it has been unable to recover all the remains because they are buried under the rubble of Israeli attacks, while Jerusalem has accused the militants of stalling and threatened to resume attacks or halt the flow of humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned.

Merz said Germany is helping to implement the second phase of the truce by sending officers and diplomats to a civilian and military coordination centre run by the US in southern Israel, as well as sending humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu notes that few believe the first phase of the truce is fully achievable, and that the second phase is equally challenging.

- As I mentioned to the Chancellor, there is also a third phase, and that is the deradicalisation of Gaza, something people also believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it was done in the Gulf countries. It can be done in Gaza too, but of course Hamas must be dismantled - Netanyahu emphasised.

Merz stated that Germany will "always stand in defence of Israel's existence and security" after the Holocaust and added that this is "part of the immutable essence of the relationship" between the two countries.

Nevertheless, he noted that Germany still believes a two-state solution is the best option, but that "the federal government maintains its position that recognition of a Palestinian state can only come at the end of such a process, not at the beginning".

Netanyahu said that, although he would like to visit Germany, he has not planned a diplomatic trip due to the arrest warrant issued last year by the International Criminal Court, the highest court of the United Nations (UN) for war crimes.