Mladenov after talks with Netanyahu: Gaza plan entering ‘hard phase’

Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, stated after discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday that the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan has entered a “hard phase.” Mladenov described the current work as “slow, grinding and technical.” The Board of Peace confirmed a “constructive, detailed” meeting, noting that the IDF’s withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line will occur only after the complete decommissioning of weapons by Hamas. An Israeli political source affirmed that the IDF “will not withdraw from its current lines in the Gaza Strip.” Doron Spielman, a spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, conveyed Israel’s “comments and concerns” to the White House, stating that the publicly released version of the plan “does not reflect Israel’s positions.” Spielman emphasized that “The indispensable first step toward any lasting arrangement is the genuine, verifiable and irreversible demilitarization of Hamas,” meaning Hamas must physically surrender its weapons.