Board of Peace envoy: Israel must honor Gaza commitments to advance cease-fire

Nikolay Mladenov, the U.S. official overseeing President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan, harshly criticized Israel for its ongoing attacks on the war-torn territory during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Wednesday. Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative, insisted that the 20-point plan was progressing from negotiation to implementation, despite Israel's strikes since October's previous ceasefire.

Hamas has agreed to disarm and turn Gaza over to civilian rule under the plan, but Mladenov argued that Israel's continued aggression is impeding progress. He questioned the effectiveness of attacking a munitions depot, stating it only delays demilitarization and hinders the transition to civilian governance. The U.S. deal with Hamas to disarm Hamas was seen as a potential breakthrough, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to withdraw from current positions until all weapons are surrendered.

Mladenov met with Netanyahu and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to address Israeli concerns and narrow remaining technical issues. While Israel's deputy U.N. ambassador, Noa Furman, reaffirmed the country's commitment to the plan, he emphasized that Hamas's disarmament must occur for success. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, acknowledged the need to address concerns and stressed that Hamas's actions would determine the plan's progress.

Mladenov warned that if war resumes, there would be no roadmap to return to and no infrastructure left to rebuild, describing it as a point of no return. He stressed the need for political will to overcome differences, presenting a stark choice: a disarmed, rebuilt, and connected Gaza or a re-armed, divided, and rubble-filled Gaza, leading to a radicalized generation and the potential for a new war.