Netanyahu Says 1st Phase of Gaza Cease-Fire Plan Almost Complete

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) speaks during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem on Dec. 7, 2025. Ariel Schalit/Pool/AFP via Getty ImagesIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Dec. 7 said the cease-fire brokered between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group nearly two months ago will soon move to its next scheduled phase.While speaking during a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Tel Aviv, Israel, Netanyahu said the cease-fire was “very shortly expected to move into [its] second phase,” which he said entails disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip. That process, he said, may start at the end of December.