Mladenov warns Gaza ceasefire risk becoming permanent
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- Nickolay Mladenov warned the UN Security Council that the current Gaza ceasefire could become a permanent, divided status if no further action is taken.
- Nickolay Mladenov identified Hamas's refusal to disarm and relinquish control as the principal obstacle to moving to the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
- Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem rejected Mladenov's remarks as pressure and claimed they adopt the Israeli narrative, while asserting Hamas's readiness to hand over governance to the National Committee for the Administration of the Gaza Strip.
- Israel representative Jonathan Miller accused Hamas of using the delay to consolidate military control and rebuild capabilities, describing Hamas as a terrorist army preserving its war‑readiness.
- U.S. officials said in January that the peace plan’s second phase calls for Hamas disarmament, a gradual Israeli forces withdrawal, and deployment of an international stabilizing force.
- UN Security Council heard Mladenov say that ongoing Israeli strikes and humanitarian restrictions are causing a rising death toll and eroding Palestinians’ confidence in safety and reconstruction.
- Ceasefire entered its second phase on Oct 10, after the war’s second anniversary, but progress to the next phase has stalled as global focus shifts to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: The warning signals that Palestinians will remain trapped in rubble and dependent on aid, while Israel loses security assurances and the international community forfeits a chance to fund reconstruction, making the ceasefire’s stagnation a material loss for both sides and deepens the humanitarian crisis.
