Official overseeing Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan criticises Israel’s continued attacks

United Nations: Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace high representative overseeing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire initiative, has criticised Israel’s continuing strikes on the Palestinian territory, warning that abandoning the US proposal could lead to another war.

Addressing the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Mladenov said Trump’s 20-point plan was still progressing and had moved beyond negotiations into the technical and implementation phase. He said Hamas had accepted the proposal’s central provision requiring it to disarm and transfer control of Gaza to a civilian administration, Associated Press reported.

However, Mladenov said continued Israeli military strikes were preventing Palestinians in Gaza from believing that the conflict was coming to an end. Although the intensity of the attacks had decreased, Palestinians continued to be killed, he said.

He questioned whether further Israeli strikes against Hamas weapons facilities would prevent the group from rebuilding its military capabilities, arguing that such attacks would instead delay the planned disarmament process and the transition to civilian governance.

The US agreement with Hamas on disarmament had been viewed as a possible breakthrough towards ending the war, which began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has maintained that Israeli forces will not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas surrenders all its weapons.

Mladenov said he had met Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner the previous week. According to him, the discussions addressed Israel’s concerns individually and reduced the number of issues requiring further technical negotiations.

Israel’s deputy UN ambassador, Noa Furman, reaffirmed Israel’s support for Trump’s plan but stressed that its implementation would not be possible while Hamas remained armed. He said Israel was coordinating with Washington to secure the group’s disarmament.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said outstanding concerns surrounding the proposal were being addressed and that Hamas’ commitment to disarmament would ultimately be assessed through its actions.

Mladenov warned that the growing gap between the proposed roadmap and developments on the ground could become dangerous. He cautioned that a renewed war could leave no viable framework for restoring peace or rebuilding Gaza.

He urged the parties to demonstrate the political will needed to bridge their differences, arguing that the choice was ultimately between a Gaza that is disarmed, rebuilt and reintegrated with the international community, and one that is rearmed, divided and left in ruins, potentially creating another generation vulnerable to radicalisation and another conflict.

Mladenov also said the plan offered Palestinians a credible route towards a political settlement and a two-state solution to the longstanding conflict. Netanyahu, however, remains firmly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.