Board of Peace Blamed for Gaza Ceasefire Stalling

Board of Peace Blamed for Gaza Ceasefire Stalling

The U.S.-backed Board of Peace, through its high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, attributed the stalled Gaza ceasefire to Hamas on Thursday, May 23. This assessment, delivered to the UN Security Council, has drawn criticism for potentially undermining the truce and increasing the risk of renewed conflict in the region.

Mladenov stated that Hamas was the "principal obstacle" to the ceasefire's implementation, citing its refusal to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control, and allow a genuine civilian transition. However, critics argue that this report provides a one-sided account, overlooking Israel's alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Since the ceasefire's declaration in October, Israeli forces have reportedly conducted airstrikes, expanded their control from 53% to at least 60% of the agreed-upon area, and failed to meet obligations for humanitarian aid delivery, including restrictions on "dual-use" items like water pipes.

Hamas rejected Mladenov's accusations, with spokesman Hazem Qassem stating the report adopted an Israeli position and attempted to justify further escalation. Analysts suggest that by solely blaming Hamas, the report could inadvertently legitimize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's potential return to conflict.

The Board of Peace's roadmap, which included a phased disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, was presented in March and April, but its implementation remains contentious due to differing interpretations of obligations and a lack of parallel actions from all parties.