Netanyahu says Gaza ceasefire plan set to move into second phase "very shortly"

• Netanyahu says Gaza ceasefire plan will move into second phase soon, focused on disarming Hamas.
• He plans to meet President Trump this month to discuss regional peace opportunities.
• Qatar warns the ceasefire is fragile and cannot be fully achieved until stability and free movement are restored.

'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the Gaza ceasefire plan is expected to advance into its second phase “very shortly,” signaling the next steps in the effort to stabilize the region.

Speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Netanyahu highlighted discussions about ending Hamas rule in Gaza. “We finished the first part,” he said. “And then we very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult.”

Netanyahu also announced plans to meet with US President Donald Trump later this month to discuss “opportunities for peace” in the region. The two leaders have met at least three times since Trump returned to the White House for a second term in January.

The first phase of the US-brokered plan, launched on October 10, involved halting fighting and exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The upcoming second phase is expected to include the deployment of an international security force and measures aimed at disarming Hamas, though questions remain over the force’s role and composition.

“And now we have a second phase, no less daunting, and that is to achieve the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza,” Netanyahu said. He also outlined a third phase, aimed at deradicalizing Gaza, citing examples from Germany, Japan, and Gulf states as models for success.

Officials from Arab and Western countries told the Associated Press (AP) that an international body overseeing the ceasefire, potentially led by Trump, is expected to be appointed by the end of the year. In the longer term, the plan also includes a possible “pathway” toward Palestinian independence.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani cautioned that the ceasefire remains fragile. Speaking at the Doha Forum on Saturday, he said, “What we have just done is a pause. We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire. A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out, which is not the case today.”