Mladinov Presents Roadmap Implementation Conditions in Gaza Before Security Council

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Niccolò Mladinov, said on Wednesday that the disarmament of Palestinian factions in Gaza and placing their weapons under the custody of the Transitional National Committee for the administration of the territory will precede Israel’s phased withdrawal from the area.

He added during a speech before the UN Security Council that the peace plan’s roadmap calls for the disarmament of "all categories of weapons," stating: "There is no gray area, and no category is exempted."

Mladinov emphasized that the approval by Hamas and Palestinian factions in July of the roadmap to complete the comprehensive Gaza plan constitutes a "historic breakthrough."

He stated there is an opportunity "to fundamentally and sustainably improve the lives of Palestinians in Gaza, provide lasting security for Israelis, and transition from a conflict destabilizing the region to an environment offering peace, prosperity, and economic opportunities across the entire Middle East" through "full implementation of the comprehensive plan and the roadmap."

He continued: "It is in the interest of Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region that the Gaza peace plan not collapse," noting that the roadmap’s phases are "sequential and interdependent. Each step depends on the successful completion of the preceding one."

Call for Israeli Commitment

He pointed out that Gaza’s police personnel will undergo scrutiny by the Implementation and Verification Committee, led by the Peace Process Council and the United States, with support from the International Stability Force and mediators, clarifying that "those who do not pass the scrutiny will not be allowed to carry arms."

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in Gaza stated that Israel is not a signatory to the roadmap, and "we never asked it to be so," noting that the Council requested Tel Aviv confirm its commitments under the comprehensive plan and the Sharm el-Sheikh Protocol.

He added: "Despite reaffirming its commitment to this framework, important questions regarding implementation remain unanswered."

Mladinov clarified that the roadmap has achieved three firsts: "public acceptance by Hamas and factions of the comprehensive plan and the framework requiring their full disarmament, full transfer of governance in Gaza—civilian and security—alongside agreement on a fundamental principle: one authority, one law, one weapon," as well as consensus that "progress is performance-based, not schedule-based. No phase begins until the previous phase is fully completed."

He noted that the Peace Process Council and the International Stability Force are working on "establishing a monitoring and verification compliance mechanism to support implementation in the next phase," while continuing to monitor "the parties’ fulfillment of their obligations."

Mladinov said the Council and the International Stability Force are also working on "essential arrangements to prevent conflict, including a coordination cell and a communication mechanism through which emerging ground threats can be raised and addressed before they escalate."

Mladinov: The Path Won’t Be Easy

He mentioned that during his recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, government concerns were reviewed, and a shared goal was reaffirmed: "a demilitarized Gaza cannot pose a threat again," along with agreement on "a mechanism to resolve outstanding issues, and we have formed a committee for this purpose, which has already begun holding meetings."

Mladinov stated that the path toward implementing the roadmap will not be easy, pointing to the "gap between what was agreed upon and what is happening on the ground," noting that Israeli strikes have continued since the roadmap’s acceptance.

He stressed that any strike on a Hamas ammunition warehouse would not prevent the movement from rearming or consolidating control over Gaza, and "would only delay the disarmament that should occur, and obstruct the civilian transition that must take place to ensure future rearming is impossible."

He highlighted a second risk: Hamas failing to fulfill its commitment to halt military activities, explaining that "every weapon still carried, every tunnel still active, every convoy still blocked, reverses progress and gives justification to those who want to restart the war."

Mladinov warned that "if the ceasefire collapses and the territory slips into another full-scale escalation, there will be no roadmap to return to, no administration to deploy, and nothing left on the ground to rebuild," adding, "This would not just be a setback—it would be an irreversible point of no return for everyone."

He said time itself presents another challenge to implementing the roadmap, noting "another winter approaching amid people living among rubble, and a ceasefire offering no tangible results cannot be sustained by patience alone—it drains people’s patience."

Conditions for Roadmap Implementation

Mladinov, the UN Special Coordinator, stated that three conditions must be met for progress: "The International Stability Force must be able to deploy, Israel must implement its commitments under the Sharm el-Sheikh Protocol, and Hamas must adhere to its pledges."

He emphasized that once these conditions are met, work can begin in areas where conditions are most favorable, by introducing the Transitional National Committee and the International Stability Force into Gaza, enabling the committee to begin exercising civil governance, simultaneously completing verification and handover procedures, transferring police weapons to the committee for dismantling, announcing heavy weapons, ammunition depots, tunnels, and production sites for removal and decommissioning, and disarming militias and light weapons.

He said reconstruction will begin on a large scale "only after documented, irreversible progress in disarmament. This is the only way to ensure that what is rebuilt is not destroyed again."

Mladinov urged Security Council members to affirm that "the complete disarmament of Gaza and implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement are requirements of the framework established by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, and are the sole path to Israeli withdrawal, large-scale reconstruction, and creating conditions for a reliable political process toward the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood."

He called on Security Council members to work with the Peace Process Council, the Transitional National Committee for Gaza Administration, and the United Nations to ensure mobilization of necessary support and resources.

He explained that "the International Stability Force needs troops, equipment, and capabilities to carry out its mission. The Transitional National Committee needs training, administrative support, and recovery assistance," adding that "Gaza’s students, patients, and wounded need countries ready to host them and provide education and medical treatment opportunities."

Mladinov said the alternative to the roadmap would either be "Israel’s reoccupation of Gaza, where one side governs two million people at a massive human, economic, and reputational cost," or "allowing the current situation—which led to October 7 and everything that followed—to quietly reconstitute itself: Hamas weapons in Gaza remain unremoved, Hamas stays in power, and Gaza is managed and contained rather than transformed."

Washington: Supports Path Toward Two-State Solution

During the Security Council session, U.S. Representative to the UN Security Council Mike Waltz said Washington continues to advocate support for President Donald Trump’s comprehensive Gaza plan, adding that efforts must be made to achieve a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.

Waltz stated that the United States will judge Hamas "based on its actions, not its words," and considers that Hamas’s disarmament must be subject to scrutiny by impartial third parties.

"Gaza Residents’ Suffering"

Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Ramesh Ramasamy, said full implementation of the Gaza roadmap’s provisions—including Hamas and all other groups’ disarmament, Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, deployment of the International Stability Force, and transfer of transitional governance responsibilities to the Transitional National Committee for Gaza Administration—could advance the transitional arrangements outlined in Trump’s peace plan.

Ramasamy urged all parties during his Security Council address to "build on this momentum, fulfill their commitments, and move forward with the roadmap in line with international law," aiming to "create a political horizon ending illegal occupation, achieving the Palestinian right to self-determination, and advancing the two-state solution, so that Palestine and Israel live side by side based on the June 1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states."

He said Gaza residents "are enduring unbearable conditions and facing immense suffering, losing hope," noting that Israeli airstrikes resumed on August 12 after a week-long pause, while military activities—including shelling, drone attacks, and ground operations—have not ceased.

He added that access to areas covering nearly two-thirds of Gaza remains impossible, leaving civilians confined to overcrowded and unsafe zones.

He stressed that "needs are vast and urgent. Humanitarian actors, especially international non-governmental organizations, continue to face operational constraints related to access, supplies, and funding, with the 2026 emergency appeal funded at only 40%."

He emphasized that after more than 10 months of ceasefire, "this situation is unacceptable and the major obstacles must be addressed."

He highlighted the need to expand preparations for winter, stressing that although plans exist, "stockpiles of shelter materials and non-food items have been depleted, restrictions on humanitarian supplies remain in place, and funding levels remain extremely low," underscoring that residents must not face another winter in cold tents.

He said that after more than six months since the Rafah crossing reopened, over 5,400 Palestinians have exited, with the same number returning to Gaza, stressing the need to increase bidirectional movement and facilitate medical care for Gaza’s patients abroad.

He affirmed the necessity of establishing an effective and practical communication mechanism between the Palestinian Authority and the Transitional National Committee for Gaza Administration, alongside international support for a unified Palestinian national recovery plan.

He noted that in recent years, Arab countries have provided more than half of the resources dedicated to relief efforts in the occupied Palestinian territories.

He addressed the situation in the West Bank, describing it as "dangerous," highlighting ongoing widespread settler attacks amid near-total absence of accountability for these crimes.

He stressed that Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure protection of civilians and hold perpetrators accountable.

He pointed out that if the plan to establish settlements in the E1 area of East Jerusalem is implemented, "it would effectively separate northern and southern West Bank, severing their connection to East Jerusalem, undermining prospects for a viable Palestinian state."

He reiterated that "settlements have no legal legitimacy and constitute a grave violation of international law," renewing his call for Israel to act in accordance with its obligations."