Board of Peace envoy says there is 'no recovery' in Gaza despite ceasefire gains

A senior Board of Peace official said Thursday that there is "no recovery" in Gaza despite some progress under a ceasefire deal.

Nickolay Mladenov, high representative for Gaza, told the UN Security Council that mass destruction, displacement and humanitarian challenges continue to define conditions on the ground.

"When I last appeared before you, the framework for the decommissioning of weapons in Gaza had been agreed among the guarantors and presented to the parties, and I told you the engagement was serious. The first written report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025) of the Board of Peace is now before you," he said.

Noting that there had been limited but important improvements since the ceasefire took hold, he said, "The guns have largely fallen silent across Gaza for the first time in two years. Every hostage has been returned to their family."

"The number of people receiving food assistance has risen from 400,000 to roughly 2 million. None of this was inevitable. None of it should be taken for granted," he added.

Warning against describing the situation as a recovery, Mladenov said, "I will not stand before this Council and call this recovery, because there is no recovery."

He described the scale of destruction as unprecedented, noting widespread infrastructure collapse across the enclave.

"Some 70 million tons of rubble lie where homes and schools and hospitals used to stand, much of it mixed with unexploded ordnance," he noted.

Mladenov said more than 1 million people remain without permanent shelter and are living in tents or damaged buildings.

At the same time, unemployment has reached extreme levels, and basic services remain severely degraded, he said.

Although the ceasefire is largely holding, he said it is "holding in a way that is not perfect. There are daily violations."

He added that continued restrictions and delays are undermining humanitarian access and confidence in the process, stressing that civilians bear the cost of the delay in Gaza.

US deputy UN envoy Tammy Bruce welcomed the report by the Board of Peace. "The United States does have the pleasure of applauding the accomplishments of the Board of Peace over the recent months and the steps toward establishing the Office of the High Representative, the International Stabilization Force, and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza," she said.

"As we have just heard today, there are still significant challenges to overcome in the reconstruction and rebuilding of Gaza and securing enduring safety, stability, and prosperity," said Bruce, explaining that challenges can be overcome by working together.

"A future of peace, freedom, personal and economic in the Middle East is in all of our interests. We must work together to make it happen. The United States will continue to work with Israel, its neighbors, and our partners on the Board of Peace to achieve that goal," she added.