Gaza ceasefire frays; 800 killed

Nickolay Mladenov, the lead envoy for the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, said on May 13 that Gaza’s ceasefire was still holding but that violations were continuing “every day and some of them are serious.” Ten days later, Israeli strikes hit the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps in central Gaza, with Al Jazeera reporting dozens were injured despite the agreement remaining in force. More than 800 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire announced on October 10, 2025, according to Gaza health figures cited by CBC and Human Rights Watch. The dispute now centers not on whether the truce exists, but on whether either side is carrying out the next steps tied to reconstruction, crossings and disarmament. ### Why are critics focused on the Board of Peace report? The Board of Peace submitted its first six-month progress report to the U.N. Security Council on May 21 and said Hamas was “the principal obstacle” to moving to the second phase of the ceasefire, according to reports from Al Arabiya and Channel NewsAsia. The report said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was blocking a transition to civilian reconstruction in Gaza. (reutersconnect.com) Human Rights Watch said on May 19 that Israeli authorities were also undermining the ceasefire by restricting humanitarian lifelines and that the board was preparing to brief the Security Council on the new report. The Guardian, cited in the source briefing, reported analysts saying the board had focused overwhelmingly on Hamas while downplaying Israeli obligations tied to reconstruction and border access. (english.alarabiya.net) ### What has happened on the ground since the ceasefire began? Al Jazeera reported on May 23 that Israeli forces struck Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps in central Gaza, injuring dozens. Human Rights Watch said continuing Israeli attacks had killed at least 856 Palestinians and wounded 2,463 others during the ceasefire period, citing Gaza Health Ministry figures. (hrw.org) Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said on April 10 that Palestinians across Gaza were still unsafe six months after the ceasefire announcement and that Israeli attacks were continuing routinely. UNRWA said in a report published earlier in 2026 that 673 Palestinians had reportedly been killed since the ceasefire announcement, citing the Gaza health ministry as reported by the U.N. human rights office. (aljazeera.com) ### Which parts of the agreement are stalled? The Rafah crossing remains one of the clearest unresolved issues. Human Rights Watch said more than 1,400 patients had died waiting for medical evacuation since the crossing was seized in May 2024, citing Gaza Health Ministry figures, and said more than 18,500 patients still required evacuation. (ohchr.org) Reconstruction funding is also in dispute. The Times of Israel reported on May 20 that the Board of Peace warned donor countries to follow through on pledges made at a February conference in Washington or Gaza rebuilding efforts would be in jeopardy. Channel NewsAsia, citing the board’s report, said violations by both sides were continuing on a near-daily basis even as the reconstruction track remained blocked. (reliefweb.int) ### What are Israel and Hamas each demanding now? Hamas has rejected disarmament proposals while accusing Israel of failing to meet its ceasefire obligations, according to reporting cited in the source briefings and additional coverage from Middle East Eye. A document obtained by that outlet said the Board of Peace told Palestinian officials that Israel would no longer be bound by some ceasefire commitments if Hamas refused to disarm. (timesofisrael.com) Israeli and board officials have framed Hamas’s weapons and governance role as the main barrier to moving forward. Critics cited by The Guardian and Human Rights Watch have argued that this approach leaves enforcement questions unresolved, especially on aid access, reconstruction materials and border crossings. ### What happens next? May 21 marked the board’s first formal six-month report to the U.N. (middleeasteye.net) Security Council, and Mladenov remains the main public face of the monitoring effort. Donor governments that made pledges in Washington in February are expected to decide whether and when to release funds, while Israel, Hamas and mediators remain at odds over disarmament, reconstruction sequencing and Rafah access. (timesofisrael.com) (hrw.org)