The senior official overseeing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire initiative has criticized Israel’s continued military operations in the Palestinian territory, warning that prolonged attacks could undermine efforts to achieve lasting peace. Addressing the United Nations Security Council, Nikolay Mladenov said the ceasefire proposal has advanced beyond negotiations and is now focused on technical implementation. He stated that Hamas has agreed to the proposal’s key condition of disarming and transferring Gaza’s administration to a civilian authority, but ongoing Israeli airstrikes continue to create uncertainty for residents and delay progress toward ending the conflict.

Mladenov argued that additional military operations would not prevent Hamas from rebuilding its capabilities and instead risk postponing the broader goal of Gaza’s demilitarization. Referring to recent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US adviser Jared Kushner, he said many of Israel’s security concerns had been addressed, with only technical issues still under discussion. However, Israel has maintained that it will not withdraw its forces from current positions in Gaza until Hamas completely surrenders its weapons, a position reiterated by Israeli officials at the United Nations.

The United States has insisted that Hamas’ commitment to disarmament will be judged by concrete actions rather than promises, while urging all parties to continue working toward the proposed agreement. Mladenov warned that if fighting resumes on a large scale, the opportunity for a negotiated settlement could disappear, leaving Gaza further devastated and making reconstruction even more difficult. He stressed that the region now faces a critical choice between a demilitarized and rebuilt Gaza connected to the international community or a renewed cycle of conflict that could fuel instability for years to come.