The UN peacekeeping mission in Gaza, led by the UN envoy for Gaza, Nikolay Mladenov, said that Hamas and other armed factions in Gaza have agreed for the first time to lay down their weapons and transfer civilian and security authority to a UN-recognized transitional administration. The statement was made during a briefing to the UN Security Council on the implementation of the US peace plan for Gaza.
Mladenov said the 15-point roadmap envisages the complete disarmament of armed groups, including the surrender of heavy weapons, weapons depots, tunnels and personal weapons. According to him, the process will take place gradually and will be internationally verified, while the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza will be the sole institution authorized for arms control.
According to Mladenov, the implementation of the plan is linked to three main conditions: the deployment of the International Stabilization Force, Israel's fulfillment of its obligations under the ceasefire agreements, and Hamas's adherence to its disarmament commitments.
At the center of the plan is the creation of a Palestinian transitional administration, composed of independent professionals, which will take over the civil administration of Gaza during the transition period.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously opposed this sequence of steps, insisting that Hamas must be fully disarmed before Israeli forces can withdraw from Gaza. This remains one of the main points of disagreement over the plan's implementation.
Mladenov's statements come at a critical moment for the ceasefire agreement, as Israeli attacks on Gaza continue and the parties face pressure to move from agreements to concrete implementation of the plan.
