Board of Peace envoy says Gaza plan needs quick progress, Hamas talks ‘not easy’

InternationalBoard of Peace envoy says Gaza plan needs quick progress, Hamas talks 'not easy'By Reuters -Apr 20, 2026BRUSSELS: The Board of Peace’s lead envoy for Gaza told Reuters on Monday that he was “fairly optimistic” a plan for disarmament ​of Hamas and other groups in Gaza can be agreed but cautioned that it will still take time. “We’ve had some ‌very serious discussions with Hamas over the last few weeks, they’re not easy,” Nickolay Mladenov said in an interview during a visit to Brussels. “I’m fairly optimistic that we will be able to come up with an arrangement that works for all sides and, most importantly, works for the people in Gaza,” he said. U.S. President Donald Trump proposed the Board of Peace in ​September to oversee his plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza, subsequently saying it would tackle other conflicts. The U.N. Security Council has recognised ​the board, which is chaired by Trump, though many major powers have not joined. Trump’s Gaza plan, to which Israel and ⁠Hamas agreed in October, sees Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza and reconstruction starting as Hamas lays down its weapons. But Hamas’ disarmament is a sticking point in talks ​to implement the plan and cement an October ceasefire that halted two years of full-blown war. Violence has continued in the Palestinian territory, much of which remains ​in ruins. RISK OF LOSING MOMENTUM Mladenov said work was underway on an implementation plan that would include disarmament, new governance in Gaza and provisions for an Israeli withdrawal. “It obviously will take time, but we’re trying to make sure that the arrangements for the implementation of the plan are agreed to as quickly as possible,” Mladenov, a former U.N. Middle East envoy ​and Bulgarian politician, said. Asked about when an agreement could be reached on implementation, Mladenov said: “We have a matter of days, maximum a couple of weeks, ​that is my assessment, because otherwise we will lose the momentum of what we have,...