Germany's Merz urges progress on Gaza ceasefire's 2nd phase during Israel visit

JERUSALEM, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday called for moving forward to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Israel. "We need to implement the second phase of the peace plan," Merz said during a joint statement after the two leaders met. The plan, proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, calls for the release of Israeli and Palestinian hostages and...