Nickolay Mladenov, the senior diplomat overseeing the United States-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, said the truce depends on Hamas disarming, calling the issue 'not negotiable.' He warned that months of stalled implementation have hindered reconstruction and prolonged dire humanitarian conditions for more than 2 million residents. Although he accused both Israel and Hamas of violating the agreement, he said the ceasefire has largely prevented a return to full-scale war.

Disarmament remains the central obstacle. Hamas has linked giving up its weapons to a full Israeli military withdrawal, while Israel insists that all military infrastructure and weapons must be permanently dismantled. Israel continues to control more than half of Gaza, and aid groups say promised humanitarian assistance has not fully entered the territory.

Mladenov said Hamas could still play a political role in Gaza if it disarms, emphasizing that the group is not being asked to disappear as a political movement. However, with Israel intensifying strikes and both sides trading accusations of violations, fears are growing among Palestinians that the fragile truce could collapse and fighting could resume at a larger scale.