DaysofPal- Recent remarks by senior diplomat Nikolay Mladenov, who oversees the U.S.-mediated Gaza ceasefire under the so-called “Peace Council,” have drawn mounting criticism for the deeply unbalanced approach to the ongoing crisis, according to a report published by Gaza Herald.
The report highlights that while Mladenov called on Hamas to disarm, he failed to clearly identify Israeli occupation as the party continues to violate the ceasefire through daily military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Critics argue that this omission is not a minor diplomatic detail but a central issue shaping how the conflict is framed internationally, influencing accountability and public understanding.
According to the report, the ceasefire, nominally in effect since October, has been repeatedly breached.
Palestinians in Gaza continue to face Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling, drone attacks, gunfire, home demolitions, and strikes targeting civilian gatherings. Medical sources in Gaza have reported dozens of casualties directly linked to these attacks.
Entire neighborhoods remain under constant surveillance by Israeli drones, while civilians have reportedly been killed attempting to retrieve belongings, access aid distribution points, or move through areas arbitrarily designated as restricted zones.
Displaced families living in tents also remain under threat of bombardment despite the supposed truce.
Despite these conditions, the report states that Mladenov’s statements have either downplayed or entirely ignored these realities. Instead, his focus has remained almost exclusively on Hamas and the issue of disarmament.
Gaza Herald argues that failing to name the party violating the ceasefire does not constitute neutrality, but rather shields the more powerful side from accountability.
Israel, the report notes, maintains control over Gaza’s airspace, borders, coastline, population registry, aid access, and large portions of its land through military force, while continuing operations inside the enclave.
The report warns that ignoring these dynamics while discussing “security” creates a false equivalence between an occupying power and a population under occupation.
It adds that calls for Palestinian disarmament, without first demanding an end to Israeli attacks, collective punishment, and the long-standing blockade, raise serious concerns about international priorities.
“Calling for disarmament while bombardment continues sends a dangerous political message,” the report states, suggesting that Palestinians are being asked to relinquish all means of resistance while remaining exposed to ongoing military actions.
For many Palestinians, this reinforces the perception that international mediation efforts are less concerned with civilian protection than with maintaining Israeli military dominance under the banner of “stability.”
The report further criticizes the carefully crafted diplomatic language aimed at appearing balanced.
It argues that when such language avoids acknowledging clear realities on the ground, it ceases to be neutral and instead becomes a tool of political enablement.
“There is no neutrality in refusing to name repeated ceasefire violations,” the report states. “Nor is there balance in discussing Gaza’s future without addressing the continued killing of civilians, restrictions on aid, destruction of infrastructure, and forced displacement.”
The credibility of international mediation itself is also at stake, the report warns. A sustainable ceasefire requires mutual accountability, not selective pressure on one side.
When mediators avoid criticizing Israeli occupation forces despite documented daily violations, Palestinian trust in diplomatic initiatives erodes, reinforcing perceptions of structural bias in the application of international law.
The report concludes that genuine stability in Gaza can only be achieved by confronting the immediate reality: civilians are still being killed despite the ceasefire.
Any serious discussion about Gaza’s future must include clear acknowledgment of ongoing violations, the humanitarian crisis caused by blockade and bombardment, and the legal obligations under international humanitarian law.
“Peace cannot be built on selective silence,” the report states, adding that a ceasefire repeatedly violated without accountability “cannot be considered a real ceasefire at all.”
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