Hamas must disarm, not ‘disappear’ from Gaza: Board of Peace’s Mladenov

‘We are not asking Hamas to disappear as a political movement’, says the diplomat overseeing the US-brokered truce in Gaza.Nickolay 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.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why is Israel allowed to take part in the Eurovision song contest?list 2 of 3Palestine weekly wrap: Israeli settlers rampage through West Bank villageslist 3 of 3Mass wedding brings brief joy to couples in devastated Gazaend of listHe 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.The first phase of the agreement saw the release of the last captives seized in southern Israel in October 2023, in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.The transition to the second phase envisioned Hamas handing over its weapons, Israeli forces withdrawing, and the rebuilding of destroyed swaths of the coastal enclave after more than two years of war.Seven months since the “ceasefire” came into force on October 10, Israeli forces have killed at least 856 Palestinians and control more than 50 percent of the Gaza Strip.Humanitarian groups say Israel has not allowed the promised amount of aid in, while Hamas refuses to give up its arsenal.“The only way that we believe that we can ensure that Israeli withdrawal takes place to the perimeter is if we have the full element of the plan unfolding in Gaza,” Mladenov said.Hamas points finger at IsraelHamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem responded to Mladenov, saying he should “identify the party violating the ceasefire”.