TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday in Jerusalem that Israel and Hamas are “very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire,” after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage being held in Gaza.

Netanyahu made the comments during a news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is visiting Israel.

Netanyahu stressed that the second phase of the ceasefire, the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza could begin as soon as the end of the month. Hamas is still holding the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose body was taken to Gaza.

The second stage also includes deploying an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary Palestinian gov

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