GAZA, (PIC)
Israeli occupation forces continue violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement through artillery shelling, heavy gunfire, and demolition operations targeting multiple areas across the Strip, particularly east of Khan Yunis and north of Rafah, amid escalating attacks on the city’s eastern and southern regions.
Over the past few hours, intense artillery bombardment struck the northern and eastern outskirts of Khan Yunis, while Israeli military vehicles opened heavy fire east and south of the city. Israeli forces also carried out two demolition operations northeast of Khan Yunis overnight.
As the military escalation continues, Nikolay Mladenov, head of the so-called “Peace Council” for Gaza, presented what he described as a “roadmap” for implementing former US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. The proposal includes arrangements related to reconstruction, the disarmament of Palestinian factions, a gradual Israeli withdrawal, and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
Speaking before the UN Security Council, Mladenov called on Israel to fulfill its ceasefire commitments, warning that Gaza remains in a “humanitarian catastrophe” after around 80% of buildings were destroyed or damaged and millions of tons of rubble remain across the territory. He argued that the disarmament of Palestinian factions should occur “gradually and under international supervision.”
Mladenov also submitted the first report of the “Peace Council” to the Security Council, claiming that Hamas’s refusal to disarm and relinquish control over Gaza represents the “main obstacle” to the proposed peace plan.
In his address delivered via video link, Mladenov said that while he continues urging Hamas and other Palestinian factions to return to negotiations and honor their commitments, “implementation cannot move forward solely through Palestinian obligations.”
He acknowledged that the continued killing of Palestinians in Gaza, despite the ceasefire, which he described as “far from perfect”, and Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid are “not abstract issues.”
Mladenov warned that failure to act risks turning the deteriorating reality into a permanent situation, with Israel controlling around 60% of Gaza while Hamas retains military and administrative control over more than two million Palestinians confined to less than half the territory.
He said Palestinians are likely to remain trapped among the ruins and dependent on aid, with reconstruction funds unlikely to arrive “until weapons are removed.”
“There will be no investment, no movement, and no horizon,” he said, adding that another generation of Palestinian children is growing up in tents under fear and despair, with “no security for Israel and no viable path toward Palestinian self-determination.”
Mladenov’s proposed roadmap reportedly includes 15 points covering reconstruction, disarmament, the gradual Israeli withdrawal, the role of an international stabilization force, and rebuilding Gaza’s police apparatus.
He claimed Israel had provided “security guarantees” that once Hamas complies with the roadmap, Israel would immediately begin fulfilling its own obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
Mladenov also said that Palestinian factions would not be asked to surrender weapons directly to Israel, saying arms should instead be transferred to a future Palestinian state represented through a national committee administering Gaza. He added that disarmament “cannot happen overnight” but would occur gradually under international oversight.
Hamas rejects the plan
Hamas Movement strongly rejected the report issued by the so-called “Peace Council,” accusing it of adopting the Israeli narrative while ignoring Israel’s daily violations of the ceasefire.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Thursday that Mladenov’s call on the Security Council to pressure Hamas “by all means” to implement its obligations reflects continued adoption of the Israeli position and serves as an attempt to justify further Israeli escalation and tighter siege measures against Gaza’s population.
Qassem added that Mladenov’s repeated claims about increased aid deliveries contradict reality, accusing Israel of continuing to restrict humanitarian assistance while “re-engineering the policy of starvation.”
He reaffirmed Hamas’s commitment to the ceasefire despite ongoing Israeli violations and said that the Movement remains ready to immediately and fully hand over governance of Gaza to the national committee designated to administer the Strip.
The ceasefire officially entered into force on 11 October 2025, three days after Israel’s war on Gaza entered its third year. The first phase included the release of the remaining Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. However, the transition to the second phase, involving Hamas disarmament and a gradual Israeli military withdrawal, remains stalled.