Gaza ceasefire: UN Security Council urged to press Hamas to disarm and Israel to comply

Nickolay Mladenov, overseeing the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire, urged the UN Security Council to use every available means to press Hamas to disarm, warning that renewed violence could unravel the agreement. He also said Israel must meet October ceasefire obligations, citing Palestinian deaths and limits on humanitarian aid flows into Gaza.

The official supervising a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire asked the UN Security Council on Thursday to intensify pressure on Hamas to disarm. Nickolay Mladenov warned that any fresh violence in the Palestinian territory could break the truce. Mladenov also said Israel must follow its duties under the October ceasefire, including aid access and conduct on the ground.

Nickolay Mladenov, high representative of the Board of Peace set up by President Donald Trump, said the parties faced a stark choice. "The choice before Hamas and Israel is either a deteriorating status quo or a new beginning for Palestinians now waiting in desperate conditions, he said. There is no third option. There never was, and the people of Gaza should not be made to wait while some pretend that there is.\"

Gaza ceasefire roadmap and Hamas disarmament

Mladenov spoke while expanding on the Board of Peace’s first report on the October ceasefire. The report said the main barrier to full implementation remained Hamas rejecting verified decommissioning. It also cited Hamas refusing to relinquish coercive control. It added that Hamas was not permitting a real civilian transition in Gaza under the roadmap.

Hamas criticised the new report in a statement. Hamas said the document overlooked Israel’s failure to meet ceasefire terms. The group has linked any demilitarisation to Israeli troop pullbacks. Hamas led the Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. Since the truce began, Israel’s military has expanded control.

Gaza ceasefire obligations and Israeli control of territory

Mladenov pointed to killings of Palestinians and limits on humanitarian aid flows. Mladenov said Israel must uphold obligations under the ceasefire. Israel’s military now controls about 60 per cent of Gaza. Mladenov warned that these developments, along with attacks, risk weakening the ceasefire and delaying any civilian transition.

Mladenov, a veteran Bulgarian diplomat, said the Board of Peace had a next step. If Israel and Hamas rejected the roadmap for Trump’s peace plan, the board would discuss options. Those talks would focus on humanitarian relief and recovery efforts in the territory. Mladenov framed this as a fallback if the political track stalled.

Gaza ceasefire risks for Palestinians and regional stability

Mladenov described a bleak outcome if no action followed. Gaza would stay divided, Mladenov said, with Hamas holding administrative and military control. About 2 million Palestinians would live in less than half the Gaza Strip. Mladenov said people would remain amid rubble, dependent on aid, and without reconstruction.

\"This is a version of the future that Israelis, Palestinians and the region should all fear and all mobilize to avoid, Mladenov said.\" Mladenov said any weapons decommissioning would be gradual and time-bound. It would follow an agreed timetable. Weapons from Hamas and other armed groups would go to Gaza’s transitional administration.

Mladenov asked the Security Council to back the roadmap clearly. \"The roadmap deserves the Security Councils clear, consistent and unequivocal support, he said.\" Mladenov added: \"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.\"

Mladenov said talks must carry on without becoming a reason to wait. \"Diplomacy must continue, cannot be used as an excuse for delay while 2 million people wait in desperate conditions.\" The board’s message focused on preventing the ceasefire from collapsing. It also stressed that relief, recovery, and governance plans depended on compliance.

With inputs from PTI