Mladenov Stalls Gaza Ceasefire Talks In Egypt Over Disarmament Demands And Tunnel Dismantling

Ceasefire negotiations in Egypt between Palestinian factions and international mediators are stalled over disarmament demands, with Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of the “Board of Peace,” insisting that not a “single bullet” should remain in Gaza.

“Ceasefire talks in Egypt between Palestinian factions and mediators face a serious test after Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of the “Board of Peace“, demanded that not a “single bullet” should be left in Gaza”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera says the primary hurdle is the handover of Palestinian weapons, while Palestinian officials argue that the demand for total disarmament makes Mladenov a facilitator for Israel’s maximalist terms.

Al Jazeera

At the heart of the deadlock is “Clause 8” of the United States-brokered October 2025 ceasefire plan, which Al Jazeera says covers disarmament and the management of military infrastructure in post-war Gaza.

Al Jazeera reports that Hamas initially showed “high positivity” about Clause 8, agreeing to discuss the handover of its “inventory and storage of heavy weapons,” but the talks hit a snag when Mladenov rejected Hamas’s proposed amendments.

Al Jazeera also reports that Israel rejected the Palestinian text and countered with a demand for dismantling the entire tunnel network operated by the Qassam Brigades, after which Mladenov aligned with the Israeli position.

On the morning of April 9, Le Monde reports that 9-year-old Ritaj Rihan received a bullet in the mouth while following her mathematics class under a tent serving as a classroom in an improvised school in Beit Lahya.

Le Monde says the shots came from the area controlled by the Israeli army, according to witnesses, and that in a written response received on the evening of Monday, April 20, the army said it cannot determine whether there were shots toward that location on April 9.

Oz Arab Media

Le Monde describes Professor Ayman Rihan carrying Ritaj to Al-Shifa Hospital in the city of Gaza on a cart drawn by a donkey due to the lack of available vehicles, where she was pronounced dead.

The article quotes Ritaj’s mother, Ola, saying, "But the Israelis do not want our children to be educated; they want to kill them," and it quotes a traumatized teacher saying, "Half of the students no longer come."

Le Monde also states that Israeli authorities have barred access to the enclave for international journalists for two and a half years.

As the Gaza talks remain deadlocked, Al Jazeera reports that the competing drafts of Clause 8 differ on whether weapons handover is unconditional or tied to a phased Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.

“Arabic version:محادثات وقف إطلاق النار في غزة متوقفة بسبب مطالب نزع السلاح Ceasefire negotiations in Egypt between Palestinian factions and international mediators are facing significant challenges as Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of the “Board of Peace,” insists that not a “single bullet” should remain in Gaza”

Oz Arab Media

Al Jazeera says Mladenov’s proposed text calls for a gradual, phased process to “inventory/collect” all weapons based on an agreed timeline, monitored by the high representative, the Implementation Verification Committee, and the International Stabilization Force (ISF).

Al Jazeera reports that Hamas and Palestinian factions’ final text ties “inventory and storage of heavy weapons” to completing Phase 1 of the ceasefire, the NCAG assuming its duties, ISF deployment, and the dismantling of armed militias.

In the same reporting, Al Jazeera includes a Hamas official’s warning that Mladenov stressed Gaza would be completely free of any weapons, “down to the single bullet,” with “No factions, no families, no militias, not even individuals.”

Oz Arab Media frames the dispute as negotiations in Egypt being blocked by disarmament demands, including the surrender of maps detailing Hamas’s tunnel operations and the relinquishment of privately held weapons by Palestinians.