JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Nickolay Mladenov, the director-general of the Board of Peace charged with overseeing Gaza’s postwar future, sought to ease Israeli concerns in an exclusive interview with Channel 12 News political commentator Amit Segal.

Mladenov said the complete dismantling of Hamas’s tunnel network across the Gaza Strip would take 10 years. He emphasized that Israel would not be required to withdraw from its current positions at this stage of the process.

On the issue of personal weapons, Mladenov indicated that the framework does not call for large quantities of Kalashnikov assault rifles remaining in private hands. The plan addresses heavy weapons, manufacturing workshops, tunnels, and personal arms held by factions, with the goal of transferring control to a transitional authority.

Mladenov’s comments come amid ongoing efforts to implement the U.S.-backed plan for demilitarization, governance transition, and reconstruction in Gaza. The Board of Peace has insisted that concrete steps on disarmament must precede any significant Israeli pullback.

The interview reflects Mladenov’s efforts to address skepticism in Israel about the pace and reliability of demilitarization commitments by Palestinian factions.