Trump peace board Gaza envoy warns imperfect ceasefire risks being permanent

Key points

• The Gaza high representative of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace warned Thursday (May 21, 2026) that the status quo in the divided and devastated territory — including an imperfect ceasefire — risks becoming “permanent” reality.
• In its first report to the UN Security Council, the board called militant group Hamas’s refusal to disarm and relinquish control “the principal obstacle” to moving to the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
• But Gaza high representative Nickolay Mladenov told the council that implementation of the deal “cannot advance through Palestinian obligations alone.” Gaza remains gripped by daily violence as Israeli strikes continue, with both the military and Hamas accusing one another of violating the truce.
• “The continued killings, Israeli restrictions affecting humanitarian flows are not abstract issues,” said Mr. Mladenov, who appeared by video.
• Violations like the still-rising death toll were impacting Palestinians’ belief in whether Gaza’s safety and recovery could...