Netanyahu reiterates opposition to Palestinian state

In a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel cannot accept a Palestinian state.

He stressed that Israel will retain full security control from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean, rejecting any arrangement that would allow a Palestinian state to threaten its existence.

"The goal of a Palestinian state is to destroy the only Jewish state. They already had a state in Gaza, a de facto state, and it was used to try to destroy the only Jewish state," Netanyahu said.

While he said broader peace with Arab states remains possible, Netanyahu added that Israel will not agree to the creation of a state that will "commit to the destruction" of Israel at its doorstep. He also warned of a resurgence in global antisemitism and defended Israel’s military actions as a response to existential threats from Iran and its proxies.

Netanyahu highlighted a historic shift in Israel–Germany relations, noting that 80 years after the Holocaust, Israel is now helping to defend Germany – a historic change, as he described it.

Answering press questions, when asked if he would leave politics in exchange for a pardon, Netanyahu responded in Hebrew: "No, no."

Regarding the second phase of the peace plan, he emphasized that Hamas must disarm and said the second phase of the peace plan is "close."

“We’ll be having very important conversations at the end of the month on how to ensure that this second stage is achieved," Netanyahu said, referring to his planned visit to the White House to meet President Trump at the end of the month.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

The U.S. is preparing to announce a transition into the second phase of its Gaza 20-point peace plan in the coming weeks, according to a U.S. official, as the U.S. and its allies seek to maintain a fragile ceasefire brokered between Hamas and Israel in October.

The announcement would include the unveiling of a new governance structure in Gaza led by a Board of Peace, along with the launching of an International Stabilization Force to help secure the area.

President Donald Trump is expected to soon reveal the individuals and countries involved in those mechanisms as part of his announcement.

Ahead of the planned announcement, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz will head to the Middle East on Saturday. He is expected to travel to Jordan and Israel.

The 20-point Gaza peace plan was bolstered by a mandate secured by the United Nations Security Council in November, after member-countries voted in support of a resolution approving the plan.

Under the resolution, the ISF will work with Israel and Egypt, along with a newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force, to help secure border areas and ensure the process of permanently disarming non-state armed groups, including Hamas.

Waltz told the council that the ISF would be "tasked with securing the area, supporting the demilitarization of Gaza, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, removing weapons, and ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians."

The U.N. Security Council approved the creation of a transitional governance body called the Board of Peace that would supervise governance of a Palestinian technocratic, apolitical committee and oversee the reconstruction of Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Financing for reconstruction of Gaza following two years of war would come from a trust fund backed by the World Bank, according to the resolution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly expected to meet President Trump in the U.S. before the end of the month to discuss the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

Israeli forces struck “several weapons storage facilities” it alleged belonged to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Two warnings were issued by Israel ahead of strikes in southern Lebanon, the IDF spokesperson to the Arab media said.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

Israeli authorities announced Thursday that the remains returned to Israel from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday have been identified as that of a 42-year-old Thai national, Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Sudthisak was an agricultural worker in southern Israel who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023 during the Hamas-led terror attack. His body was taken to Gaza and held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Israeli officials have "informed Sudthisak's family that arrangements for his return for burial in his country would be made in coordination with the Thai Embassy in Israel," according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.

A total of 39 Thai nationals were killed and 31 were taken captive on that day, according to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Sudthisak is said to be the last Thai hostage to be returned.

The remains of one more hostage -- an Israeli national -- are believed to still be in Gaza.

-ABC News' Morgan Winsor and Jordana Miller