Hamas must disarm, not ‘disappear’ from Gaza: Board of Peace’s Mladenov
Key takeaways
- “We are not asking Hamas to disappear as a political movement,” Mladenov told reporters on Wednesday at a rare news conference in Jerusalem.
- He said the phased ceasefire deal was paralysed over Hamas not yet disarming, calling it “not negotiable”.
- Disarmament remained a sticking point that stalled progress on other fronts, while Hamas blamed Israel for continuing to violate the truce.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The transition to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire truce envisions the armed Palestinian group Hamas handing over its weapons [File: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency]By Al Jazeera Staff and APPublished On 13 May 202613 May 2026Nickolay Mladenov, the top diplomat overseeing the United States-brokered “ceasefire” in Gaza as part of US President Donald Trump’s International Board of Peace, has said he could envision a political role for Hamas in post-war Gaza if the Palestinian group disarms.
“We are not asking Hamas to disappear as a political movement,” Mladenov told reporters on Wednesday at a rare news conference in Jerusalem.
He said the phased ceasefire deal was paralysed over Hamas not yet disarming, calling it “not negotiable”.