by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
UNITED NATIONS (Worthy News) – Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the U.N. Security Council that Hamas has not yet carried out its pledge to disarm, warning that continued weapons activity, tunnel operations, and obstruction inside Gaza are threatening to derail the U.S.-backed peace framework.
Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, said the process remains fragile and could collapse if Hamas refuses to move from political promises to verifiable action. Israel has repeatedly said no lasting peace arrangement can succeed while Hamas retains weapons or the ability to rebuild its terror infrastructure.
At the same time, Mladenov urged Israel to show restraint, criticizing strikes that he said do not respond to imminent threats and may delay implementation of the disarmament plan. Israeli officials have argued that Hamas continues to violate the ceasefire, rebuild its capabilities, and prepare attacks, leaving Israel no choice but to act against active threats.
The dispute now centers on sequencing: Israel wants verified Hamas disarmament before further withdrawal, while mediators are pressing both sides to keep the process alive before Gaza slips back into wider war.
For Israel, the core concern remains unchanged after the October 7 massacre: Hamas must not be allowed to retain the military power to repeat such an attack. For mediators, the challenge is whether Hamas will surrender that power in practice — not merely on paper.
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