Gaza ceasefire phase two stalled as Board of Peace blames Hamas
A report from the Board of Peace says Hamas is the main obstacle to moving the Gaza ceasefire into its second phase. The report, prepared for the UN Security Council, says repeated violations have continued despite the truce and that the next steps remain stalled. Nickolay Mladenov, the board's high representative for Gaza, is due to present the findings to the council on Thursday.
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The report says Hamas is refusing verified decommissioning, relinquishing coercive control and allowing a genuine civilian transition in Gaza. It also says institutions, resources and plans are already in place to take the next steps, but that the timing and sequence will depend on decisions made by the parties. The document says ceasefire violations continue on a near-daily basis and that some are serious.
The report links those violations to human consequences, saying civilians have been killed, families are living in fear and humanitarian access remains impeded. It says the first phase of the truce saw the release of the last hostages seized in October 2023 in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. It also says the transition to phase two, which includes Hamas disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, has been stalled for weeks.
The findings matter because they go to the centre of the current ceasefire framework for Gaza. The plan negotiated by the US administration, Qatar and Egypt was intended to halt two years of war in the territory and create a path towards reconstruction and a new security arrangement. The report says decommissioning Hamas weapons is critical for reconstruction to begin, underlining how security and civilian recovery are tied together.
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The report also places the current impasse in the context of the wider war that began after Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. That attack triggered a major Israeli offensive, and the ceasefire deal later set out a phased process involving disarmament, a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of an international stabilisation force. The report says the Israeli army still controls more than half of the Strip, which helps explain why the second phase has become a central point of contention.
What remains unclear is whether the parties will take the decisions needed to move the process forward. The report does not set out a breakthrough timetable, and it says the next steps depend on choices made now. The Security Council presentation by Mladenov will be closely watched for any sign of pressure on the parties or a shift in the stalled sequence of the ceasefire plan.
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