Whose interests is the Board of Peace serving?

The Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov once again altered his rhetoric after Hamas announced its agreement to disarm, which raised the ire of Israeli officials. US President Donald Trump announced a deal had been reached in which Hamas would disarm while Israel would gradually withdraw its forces.

Of course, Israel never had any intention to withdraw from Gaza. There was always a reason why the genocide was carried out in the first place and why, gradually, Israel cut off all vital resources for Palestinians, notably humanitarian aid through UNRWA. Without aid, forcibly displaced, and with barriers impeding the Palestinians return to their dwellings in Gaza, Israel entrenched itself in full view of the world, constructing barriers, engulfing more land through the Yellow and Orange Lines, and more recently constructing an earthen barrier for alleged security purposes. 

READ: Board of Peace envoy urges Netanyahu to halt attacks in Gaza: Report

Following a Board of Peace meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a new statement was issued which contradicted Mladenov’s earlier post on X on July 31in which he explicitly announced, “Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.” This is no longer the case. Israeli media reported the Board of Peace stating, “Contrary to inaccurate reports, we note that the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete, as Hamas committed to the mediators. This applies to light weapons, heavy weapons, and the tunnels alike.” Rather than inaccurate reports, it should be said that the Board of Peace stepped back to accommodate Netanyahu’s expansionist plans. Genocide in Gaza cannot be complete without colonisation, and the Board of Peace is cooperating spectacularly for Israel. 

The Board of Peace was supposed to provide an alternative to international impositions. However, international impositions only shifted from being dictated by the UN to being implemented very swiftly by the Board of Peace. This is also, after all, what the UN Security Council voted for when it approved Resolution 2803 in November 2025, endorsing the US 20-point plan for Gaza and accepting the Board of Peace as interim administration.

READ: Israeli premier rejects ceasefire or withdrawal from Gaza under Trump’s plan: Report

As happened with previous Israeli aggressions against Gaza, and now in full force with the genocide that started in October 2023, all conditions are incumbent upon Palestinians. Disarmament is only one factor. Forced displacement is the most crucial aspect.

Mladenov is now in agreement with Israel that there need be no withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza unless Hamas and its infrastructure are completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza are not only forcibly displaced as a result of losing their homes to Israel’s destruction, but also forced in what remains of Gaza’s territory that is not yet militarily occupied by the IDF. 

Disarmament, therefore, is just an excuse. The IDF withdrawal from Gaza is the real issue. Israel will not withdraw from the land it occupies – Israeli officials have repeatedly asserted remaining in Gaza as uncontested fact.

Israeli settler colonists are mobilising to resettle in Gaza. Being part of the colonial process in Gaza, Mladenov and the Board of Peace could not be clearer about serving Israel’s interests.

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