Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, that the meeting will discuss possible peace opportunities and ending the rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, noting that the political annexation of the West Bank is still under discussion. Netanyahu also confirmed that the start of implementation of the second phase of the US President's plan regarding Gaza is imminent. It is noteworthy that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is making his first visit to Israel since taking office. He announced Berlin's "unwavering" support for the Hebrew state, during his visit to the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem.

Published on: 07/12/2025 - 11:36 Last updated: 07/12/2025 - 17:43

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, following his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Meretz, that he expects to move "very soon" to the second phase of the US-sponsored ceasefire agreement in Gaza, noting that he will meet President Donald Trump later this month.

Netanyahu did not specify the location of the meeting, but his office reported that he received an invitation to the White House after a phone call with Trump on Monday.

The second phase of the agreement stipulates that Israel will withdraw from its current positions in Gaza and a transitional authority will assume governance in the Strip with the deployment of an international stabilization force.

In statements that came in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who began a visit to Israel on Saturday, Netanyahu said, “We have completed the first part... and after that we expect to move very soon to the second stage, which is more difficult.” But he warned that there were several major issues that remained to be resolved, including the issue of deploying a multinational security force.

He added, "We believe that there is a way to achieve broader peace with the Arab countries, and also a way to establish practical peace with our Palestinian neighbors," stressing that Israel will always insist on maintaining security control over the West Bank, adding that "the issue of political annexation" of the West Bank is still a matter of discussion.

German support for Israel

For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz affirmed on Sunday, during his first visit to Jerusalem since taking office, his country's "steadfast" support for Israel. The visit aims to deepen the strong relationship between the two countries after some differences due to the war in Gaza and the violence of extremist Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Meretz, who displeased the Israeli authorities with his decision in August to impose a partial ban on German arms exports to Israel in response to its intensification of attacks in Gaza, said, “Standing by this country is part of the firm and fundamental essence of the policy of the Federal Republic of Germany and will remain so.”

Read also: The Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Norway call for the establishment of an international stabilization force in Gaza

After this ban was lifted at the end of November and following a fragile ceasefire that has been in effect for two months, Meretz continued, “The actions of the Israeli army in Gaza presented some dilemmas for us (...) and we responded to them,” stressing, “We also found that, until now, there is basically no divergence between us.”

The German Chancellor added, "Israel has the right to defend itself because it is the only way to guarantee Israel's right to exist."

He said that the possibility of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Germany is not currently up for discussion, explaining, "We did not discuss the possibility of Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Germany. There is no reason to discuss this matter at the present time."

Before his visit to Israel, Meretz urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to carry out “necessary and urgent reforms” in the Authority in order to “perform a constructive role” in the Gaza Strip after the war.

In a phone conversation with the Palestinian leader, Meretz also condemned the "dramatic increase in settler violence against Palestinian civilians" in the occupied West Bank, according to German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius.

France 24/AFP

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