Gaza ceasefire heading for 'point of no return', says Board of Peace chief envoy

The US-backed Board of Peace's High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, warned on Wednesday that the Gaza ceasefire could reach a "point of no return" if hostilities resume. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached on July 30, in which Hamas and other Palestinian factions agreed to disarm, Mladenov stated that violence continues in Gaza, with casualties falling but not ceasing. He emphasized that a ceasefire that still results in civilian casualties is not yet acceptable to the people of Gaza.

Mladenov explained that under the agreed-upon roadmap, Hamas was to hand over its weapons for international supervision and transfer governing authority to a transitional administration recognized by the UN. The International Stabilization Force, led by US Maj Gen Jasper Jeffers, is preparing for deployment to support verification of the disarmament process. However, Hamas has faced skepticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected the latest US plan aimed at ending the Gaza war.

Mladenov emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating "If this ceasefire collapses … that would not be a setback. It would be a point of no return for everyone." The Board of Peace's executive director, Athena Rayburn, criticized the US-backed framework, arguing that the creation of new institutions should be judged on their ability to improve conditions for Palestinians. She criticized the arrangement as untenable, as it subordinates the rights of Palestinians in Gaza to the demands of their occupiers.

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, responded to Rayburn's criticism, expressing frustration with the representative's failure to acknowledge alleged Hamas abuses. Waltz accused Hamas leaders of avoiding the harsh conditions faced by civilians in Gaza, stating that the leaders are not starving and their wives are not suffering as the people do. Israeli Deputy Envoy to the UN, Jonathan Miller, affirmed Israel's commitment to the US peace plan but stressed that disarmament must come first for the plan to succeed.