Board of Peace to ask UN to press Hamas on Gaza disarmament amid stalled ceasefire
The Board of Peace overseeing the Gaza ceasefire will ask the UN Security Council to press Hamas to disarm, citing the group's refusal as the main obstacle to progress.
The international Board of Peace overseeing the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire will ask the United Nations Security Council to press Hamas to disarm, according to a report expected to be discussed Thursday when the Security Council meets on the Middle East situation.
The Board of Peace, established by President Donald Trump to oversee the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, identified Hamas' refusal to accept verified weapons decommissioning as "the principal obstacle to full implementation" of the truce. The report states that reconstruction cannot begin where weapons have not been surrendered.
Trump's 20-point ceasefire plan requires Hamas to surrender weapons and destroy its tunnel network, while envisioning Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, deployment of an international security force, establishment of a technocratic Palestinian government, and reconstruction of the territory after more than two years of war.
Board of Peace head Nickolay Mladenov, a former U.N. Middle East envoy, acknowledged last week that the ceasefire has stalled since taking effect in October. The report calls the weapons decommissioning "the critical variable" that would unlock other elements of the peace plan.
Hamas rejected the report in a statement, calling it an attempt "to muddy the waters and derail the ceasefire agreement." The group accused Israel of failing to meet its commitments, including continued restrictions on border crossings and preventing entry of repair materials for basic infrastructure.
The ceasefire has experienced near-daily violations according to the report, with Israel's military conducting airstrikes and expanding control to approximately 60% of Gaza territory. Most of Gaza's 2 million residents remain displaced, living in tent camps with limited basic services. The Security Council endorsed the Board of Peace in a November resolution.