In brief
An address to the UN Security Council by Nickolay Mladenov, senior UN board envoy for Gaza, highlights escalating Israeli strikes and civilian casualties, urging strict adherence to a 15‑point roadmap for Hamas disarmament. Mladenov cautions that any weakening of the ceasefire would remove any chance of undoing the damage. The envoy stresses that Israeli troop withdrawal will only follow verified Hamas weapon dismantlement, while both sides have conflicting demands for disarmament first. Palestinian representatives call for urgent protection of civilians, and the United Nations notes at least 73,000 deaths in Gaza since the conflict began.
Senior US Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov criticised Israel’s continued air strikes on Gaza during a speech to the UN Security Council, emphasising the urgent need for protective measures for civilians.
"We have reached a point of no return if the ceasefire collapses," Mladenov warned, drawing attention to the growing toll of civilian deaths and the risk of irreversible humanitarian damage.
"The 15‑point roadmap for Hamas disarmament includes a stepwise Israeli troop withdrawal that follows the verified removal of Hamas weapons," he added, underscoring the reciprocal nature of the agreement.
"Civilian protection remains the top priority," the Palestinian representative said, while Israeli officials insisted that disarmament must precede any pullback of forces.
"The conflict began after Hamas’s October attack, and Israel has inflicted over 73,000 casualties in Gaza, while at least 1,303 Palestinians, including 300 children, have died due to Israeli strikes," Mladenov reported, citing independently verified figures from the Palestinian authorities.
"If the ceasefire is allowed to break, there will be no roadmap to return to, no administration to deploy, and nothing left to rebuild on the ground," he concluded, calling for a swift, inclusive path toward lasting peace.
