Board of Peace's Gaza envoy criticises Israeli strikes and Hamas actions

Nickolay Mladenov, a senior US official on Donald Trump's Board of Peace, has expressed concern over Israel's ongoing air strikes in Gaza and the actions of Hamas. Speaking to the UN Security Council, Mladenov warned that a breakdown of the ceasefire from October would be a "point of no return" for the region. This came after Israel rejected the Board of Peace's 15-point roadmap for Hamas disarmament in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal.

Despite agreeing to give up weapons for a troop withdrawal, Hamas insists on full disarmament first, while Israel demands Hamas disarm before any pullout. Since the ceasefire began, at least 1,303 Palestinians, including 300 children, have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures. Meanwhile, four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Palestinian attacks.

Mladenov stated that a ceasefire without an end to civilian casualties is not real, and the process remains at risk due to continued civilian deaths from Israeli strikes. He acknowledged Hamas's partial compliance with the ceasefire and emphasized that each weapon, tunnel, or obstructed convoy hinders progress and provides ammunition for those seeking to resume hostilities.

The roadmap for troop withdrawal and Hamas disarmament is sequential and reciprocal. However, this differs from former US envoy Jared Kushner's comments, who suggested withdrawal would be discussed after Hamas's demilitarization. Israel insists that disarmament must precede any withdrawal, while the Palestinian representative accused Israel of killing civilians with impunity in Gaza and called for international protection.

Mladenov warned that a collapsed ceasefire would render any roadmap moot, leaving no administration to deploy and nothing left for reconstruction. The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages. Since then, more than 73,430 people have been killed in Gaza.