Key facts
- Board of Peace envoy Nikolay Mladenov met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The meeting focused on a Hamas disarmament deal and a halt to Israeli strikes in Gaza.
- Hamas's complete disarmament is a prerequisite for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, according to the Board of Peace.
- Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey condemned Israel's intensified strikes on Gaza.
- The condemning countries cited violations of international law and humanitarian law, including targeting civilian infrastructure and causing civilian casualties.
Mediators are intensifying efforts to implement President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, with a key focus on securing Hamas's complete disarmament, which the Board of Peace deems essential for any Israeli withdrawal from the Strip. Nikolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza and chief of the US-backed Board of Peace, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss a newly reached disarmament deal with Hamas.
Mladenov also urged Netanyahu to halt Israeli strikes in Gaza, which have resulted in civilian casualties and destruction. The agreement, part of a broader ceasefire deal announced by Trump, requires Israel to cease military operations and Hamas and its allies to halt all militant activity. Following the agreement's release, Israel voiced "serious security concerns" and subsequently increased its strikes, killing 17 people over a weekend. Since the October ceasefire deal, Israeli attacks have resulted in 1,250 deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, also involved in mediating the truce, released a statement condemning Israel's intensified strikes on Gaza, calling them "a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law." They specifically criticized the targeting of health facilities and infrastructure, and the resulting civilian casualties.