Mladenov warns ceasefire collapse would be ‘point of no return’ for Gaza

UN Board of Peace representative Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council that Israel’s ongoing air strikes on Gaza and unresolved issues with Hamas risk undoing last October’s ceasefire and could lead to “a point of no return.” He said the roadmap announced by the Board envisages phased Israeli withdrawal tied to verified decommissioning of Hamas weapons, but noted disagreements remain over sequencing.

Mladenov said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed on a mechanism to resolve Israel’s outstanding questions and that committees to that end had been established, though he warned that risks persist as Palestinian civilians continue to be killed in Israeli strikes.

The Board’s roadmap requires weapons handed over to a Palestinian technocratic committee to be verified before Israeli troop withdrawal proceeds. Mladenov described the arrangement as sequenced and reciprocal and cautioned that any use of force not addressing an immediate threat weakens the process.

He also said Hamas had not yet fully ceased military activities, noting that remaining weapons, operational tunnels and obstructed convoys undermine the pathway set out in the roadmap and strengthen arguments for renewed fighting.

At the Security Council meeting, Israel’s representative reiterated that disarmament must precede a withdrawal, while the Palestinian representative said Israeli strikes were killing civilians with impunity and called for international protection. Mladenov warned that if the ceasefire collapses, there would be no roadmap, no administration to deploy and nothing left to rebuild.

The conflict began with the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, and was followed by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, 1,303 Palestinians, including 300 children, have been killed since the US-brokered ceasefire began, while Israel reports four soldiers killed in Palestinian attacks over the same period. Gaza’s health ministry also reports more than 73,430 people have been killed during the campaign.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

Nickolay Mladenov’s remarks to the UN Security Council highlight that the Board of Peace roadmap links Israeli withdrawal to verified decommissioning of Hamas weapons, that committees were set up to address Israel’s questions, and that both continued Israeli strikes and unresolved Hamas military activity threaten the ceasefire’s durability.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council the ceasefire risks collapse if current trends continue.
• The Board of Peace’s roadmap conditions phased Israeli withdrawal on verified decommissioning of Hamas weapons.
• Reported casualties since the ceasefire include 1,303 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers, per parties cited in the meeting.