Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, May 15: A prolonged deadlock in Gaza could permanently divide the war-ravaged territory and leave millions of Palestinians without a stable future, a senior international ceasefire official has warned amid Israel’s expanding military presence in the enclave.
Nikolay Mladenov, director-general of the Gaza Board of Peace (BoP) overseeing the US-backed ceasefire implementation, cautioned that failure to move forward with the agreement would deepen the crisis and make the current situation irreversible.
“A status quo should not be an option to anyone,” Mladenov said during a press briefing in Jerusalem after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He warned that continued delays could turn the existing military demarcation line into a permanent barrier, effectively cementing Gaza’s division.
Under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces had withdrawn to a “yellow line” covering nearly 53 per cent of Gaza. However, international aid agencies now claim Israeli-controlled territory has expanded further, reducing the living space available to Gaza’s civilian population.
Mladenov said the ceasefire had brought “relative stability” but acknowledged that violations continued on the ground. According to Palestinian health authorities, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire came into effect.
He stressed that the ceasefire framework was designed to pave the way for reconstruction, Israeli troop withdrawal, establishment of a new Palestinian governing structure, and long-term political stability. The agreement, initially drafted as a 20-point plan, has reportedly been expanded into a broader 50-point implementation roadmap involving mediators from the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
However, the most contentious issue remains Hamas’ disarmament. Mladenov said armed factions could not continue operating independently if Gaza was to move towards reconstruction and stable governance.
“The principle is clear — one authority, one law, one weapon,” he said, adding that militias and armed groups could not coexist with efforts to rebuild Gaza.
He also accused Hamas of tightening its control over civilians and obstructing humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the territory.
The warning comes amid growing international concern that prolonged delays in implementing the ceasefire roadmap could permanently alter Gaza’s political and territorial future.