Minister Struk Criticizes Peace Organization's Gaza Disarmament Plan

Minister Orit Struk has sharply criticized the Peace Organization and its head, Nikolay Mladenov, alleging that their new disarmament plan for Gaza is tailored to Hamas's demands and would allow weapons to remain in the Strip. Struk urged Israel to block the initiative and insist on the complete disarmament of Gaza.

Her remarks come amid ongoing discussions about Hamas's designation as a terrorist organization and following an IDF strike on senior Hamas operatives at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The operation revealed that the hospital not only served as a terror command center but also housed a torture facility where Gazans opposing Hamas were allegedly abused. The Peace Organization's response to the hospital incident, which focused on the tragic loss of life and called for the immediate implementation of "President Trump's comprehensive peace plan," drew particular criticism from Struk. She noted the statement's symmetry between Israel and Hamas and its omission of the torture allegations.

Struk recalled her prior warnings against Mladenov's appointment, citing his past pro-Arab stance and tendency to create false symmetry between Israel and its adversaries during his tenure as UN envoy. She expressed dismay that her predictions about his handling of the Gaza situation have materialized.

According to Struk, Mladenov has been working to translate Trump's plan into action, demanding progress solely from the Israeli side. She claims that Mladenov's organization approached Hamas to negotiate disarmament terms, resulting in an agreement where Hamas would hand over weapons within Gaza to "Palestinian hands" and store some within the Strip. Struk asserts that this Hamas-dictated interpretation of the plan, which she calls a "roadmap," includes elements not present in Trump's original proposal, such as applying Palestinian law to Gaza and appointing Qatar and Turkey as supervisors. She also claims the plan involves significant financial aid from the Peace Organization to Hamas.

Struk concluded by urging Israel to stand firm against Mladenov and the Peace Organization, refusing to advance any plan until Mladenov completely revokes his "pro-Hamas interpretation." She emphasized that Israel must not accept this distorted version of the plan, which she believes undermines security needs and the achievements made in securing international agreement for Gaza's complete disarmament and Hamas's demilitarization.