Netanyahu Says First Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Plan Almost Complete

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said a ceasefire that was brokered between Israel and Hamas 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, Netanyahu said the ceasefire was “very shortly expected to move into [its] second phase,” which he said entails disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza. That process, he said, may start at the end of December. “We’re about to finish the first stage,” Netanyahu said. “But we have to make sure that we achieve the same results in the second stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President (Donald) Trump.”...