Gaza ceasefire: envoy urges UN to press Hamas to disarm, warns deal could unravel

The official monitoring a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to press Hamas to disarm. Nickolay Mladenov warned that any new violence in the Palestinian territory could undo the agreement. Mladenov said both sides faced a stark choice, as conditions in Gaza remained desperate for many residents.

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Speaking as high representative of the Board of Peace, an international body set up by President Donald Trump, Mladenov also criticised Israel’s conduct. Mladenov cited Palestinian deaths and limits on humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Mladenov said Israel must meet duties set out under the Octobers ceasefire alongside demands on Hamas.

Gaza ceasefire roadmap and UN Security Council pressure

Mladenov linked the warning to the Board of Peace’s first report on implementing the ceasefire. The report said progress stalled because Hamas rejected verified decommissioning. It also said Hamas would not give up coercive control. The report added Hamas blocked a real civilian transition in Gaza.

Hamas criticised the new report in a statement. Hamas said the document overlooked Israel’s failures to follow ceasefire terms. The group, which led the Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has tied any demilitarisation to Israeli troop pullbacks. Since the truce began, Israel’s military has expanded control and now holds about 60 per cent.

Gaza ceasefire risks, humanitarian aid, and future warnings

Mladenov said the Board of Peace could shift focus if both sides rejected the roadmap for Trump’s peace plan. Mladenov said the body would then discuss steps to deliver humanitarian relief. Mladenov added it would also look at promoting recovery efforts across the territory despite the deadlock.

"If nothing is done, he said, Gaza will remain divided. with Hamas holding administrative and military control over 2 million Palestinians who can live in less than half of the Gaza Strip and are likely to remain trapped in rubble, needing aid and without hope of reconstruction or a future for their children. This is a version of the future that Israelis, Palestinians and the region should all fear and all mobilize to avoid, Mladenov said.\"

Gaza ceasefire disarmament plan, weapons decommissioning, and obligations

Mladenov said any weapons decommissioning would be gradual and based on a set timetable. Mladenov said the process would be sequenced and time-bound. Mladenov added that weapons from Hamas and other armed groups would not go to Israel. Mladenov said they would be handed to a transitional administration in Gaza.

Mladenov said the roadmap needed firm and consistent backing from the Security Council. \"The roadmap deserves the Security Councils clear, consistent and unequivocal support, he said. I ask the council to use every means at its disposal to urge Hamas to accept the roadmap without further delay, and Israel to uphold its obligations under the ceasefire, Mladenov said. Diplomacy must continue, cannot be used as an excuse for delay while 2 million people wait in desperate conditions.\"

With inputs from PTI