JERUSALEM: The high representative for Gaza in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Wednesday (May 13) said the fragile ceasefire in the Palestinian territory was holding despite daily violations.
“We have a ceasefire. It is holding … It is far from perfect. There are violations every day, and some of them are very serious,” said Nickolay Mladenov during a meeting with the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem.
The ceasefire officially came into force on Oct 10, shortly after the second anniversary of the outbreak of the war triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
Gaza remains gripped by violence, as Israeli strikes continue and both sides trade blame over ceasefire violations.
The first phase of the truce saw the release of the last hostages seized in October 2023, in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
The transition to the second phase – involving Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, which still controls more than 50 per cent of the Gaza Strip – has been stalled for weeks, while international attention has been focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
Mladenov urged Hamas on Wednesday to relinquish power over the parts of the Gaza Strip it controls and lay down its weapons.
“We are asking the political leadership of those who govern Gaza now to step aside. This is required by the Security Council resolution in the 20-point plan,” said the envoy, referring to the peace plan for the territory sponsored by the US president.
