Mladenov Warns of Gaza Ceasefire Collapse, Cites Morocco’s Role in Stabilization Force

Marrakech – The high representative for the Board of Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, has warned that the failure of both sides to follow the roadmap for peace “threatens a collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza.”

In a Friday interview with Al Jazeera, Mladenov cautioned that there is “no better alternative to the current plan” and that a “return to war would be devastating.” The warning, he told the network, was directed at both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, as the besieged Strip continues to face Israeli raids and attacks.

Any retreat from the roadmap’s commitments would harm security and humanitarian arrangements in Palestine and could return the region to a spiral of violence, he cautioned.

Mladenov confirmed that the Board of Peace has determined the mechanism and locations for deploying the International Stabilization Force (ISF) across Gaza. Morocco agreed to take part while Turkiye will not join after Israel vetoed Ankara’s involvement, he noted, stressing that the force’s “advance elements should arrive in the Gaza Strip soon.”

On reconstruction, Mladenov told Al Jazeera the Board had received pledges worth $7 billion, crediting Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye with an “important role” in advancing the agreement with Hamas. Talks with Israel on increasing humanitarian aid were “good,” he added, voicing hope that a Palestinian national committee would soon take over its responsibilities in Gaza.

The context reaches back to May 21, when Mladenov first proposed a 15-point roadmap covering reconstruction, the disarmament of Palestinian armed groups, a gradual Israeli withdrawal, the ISF’s mandate, and the restructuring of Gaza’s police.

The Board announced on July 31 that it had reached agreement on the ceasefire’s next phase, and Hamas approved it, calling on Israel to implement it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then rejected the plan, denying reports that his government agreed to allow international troops into Gaza. The roadmap’s status remains publicly contested, even as Washington and the Board call it the only viable path.

On the ground, Israeli violations have continued. Since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israeli fire has killed 1,303 Palestinians and wounded 4,336, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The overall toll since October 2023 stands at 73,438 killed and 174,447 wounded.

The warning followed renewed diplomatic movement. Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya met Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, ahead of a regional visit by US envoy Jared Kushner meant to narrow the gap between Israel and the Board’s plan.

A US official described Washington and Israel as aligned on “the strategic goal,” while noting that Israel had raised “doubts” requiring further coordination.

Morocco’s role has developed in a series of dated steps this year. The deployment was first announced in February, and on June 18 four Moroccan officers arrived at the ISF headquarters in southern Israel to help develop the force’s structure and provide policing expertise.

Morocco signed on July 15 an agreement in Rabat to join the ISF, becoming the first Arab country to do so and assigning senior officers to its joint command, as the mission works toward a long-term force of roughly 20,000 troops and 12,000 trained police officers, beginning in Gaza’s Rafah sector.

The meeting brought together Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Abdellatif Loudiyi of the National Defense Administration, and Mladenov, on the instructions of King Mohammed VI.

The National Defense Administration described the accord as a legal framework for Morocco’s technical and operational participation, which may include gendarmerie and police personnel and a military field hospital.

The pace then quickened. On July 21, Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11 reported that the first foundational training cycle would take place on Moroccan soil, after the Board of Peace shifted the exercises from Jordan due to the escalation with Iran and threats to American bases across the region.

Kan 11 also said that representatives from the US command in Kiryat Gat had traveled to Rabat to plan the first cycle alongside Moroccan officers, with the kingdom preparing to send roughly 500 soldiers.

A delegation of about 30 Moroccan officers then entered Gaza on July 22 for the first field tour by the Moroccan military, touring the area where ISF troops are expected to operate. Mladenov also met Moroccan and Kosovar contingents during a visit to Gaza to prepare upcoming deployments.

To date, four countries – Morocco, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, and Albania – have moved forward with contributions to the force, while Indonesia’s planned deployment of up to 8,000 troops remains on hold.

Since the original five-country commitment, Uganda has approved the deployment of around 1,200 troops, while Burundi has entered talks and signaled interest in joining the ISF, though its participation has not yet been finalized.

No date has been fixed for the entry of foreign troops, with the earliest estimate placing it at the start of next year, likely after Israel’s October 27 Knesset election.

Morocco restored diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, while continuing to back a two-state solution and Palestinian statehood.