If the comprehensive peace plan for Gaza does not move into its implementation phase, a two-state solution will become “practically impossible”, the high representative of Gaza's Board of Peace Nickolay Mladenov said on Monday.
He was speaking at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi in a panel discussion moderated by The National.
Mr Mladenov said some progress has been made in Gaza to improve the lives of more than two million Palestinians living in dire conditions, but major hurdles remain, including limits imposed by Israel on the entry of construction materials and humanitarian assistance.
“If Gaza continues the way it is now or does not move into implementing the road map and the proposal we have under the comprehensive plan, the two-state solution will become practically impossible,” he warned.
“With everything happening in the West Bank and 50 per cent of Gaza under control of the Israeli army and less than 50 under control of Hamas, there is no credible pathway for a political resolution to the conflict.
“The only way to build back to that is if we have transitional governance, decommissioning of weapons and withdrawal in Gaza, and that'll bring us back on track for the political discussions that need to take place.”
He said if the situation in the stricken strip does not change, it will “lead very quickly to another generation in Gaza growing up with every reason to be radicalised and angry, and the cost is what we saw on October 7,” referring to Hamas-led attacks on that date in 2023 in which around 1,200 people were killed.
Israel subsequently launched a war killing more than 73,600 Palestinians, displaced nearly the entire population, and reduced much of the Gaza Strip to rubble. Despite a ceasefire deal struck last October, the Israeli army since then has killed more than 1,350 Palestinians, prevented reconstruction work from taking place and severely limited the flow of humanitarian aid.
It has also denied the entry of a commission of Palestinian technocrats mandated under the Gaza peace plan to run the territory's day-to-day affairs. Israel has said they could come into Gaza only after Hamas surrenders its weapons, including firearms held for personal protection.
Progress
Despite the complicated situation, some progress has been made, particularly on the establishment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that would train the Palestinian police force in Gaza and oversee the decommissioning of Hamas weapons.
“We're discussing with two more countries that are likely to sign up in the next weeks for the ISF,” he said. As for disarmament, Mr Mladenov confirmed Hamas's agreement to hand over its heavy weapons in July. The sticking point remains Israel, which has previously rejected the peace plan ahead of elections national next month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made national security a central plank of his campaign.
“That's where we're stuck,” Mr Mladenov said. “Israel is in a period of elections, and that's making things complicated for domestic and political reasons.”
He added, however, that voters in Israel believe they need to move on “from the constant tragedy” in Gaza. “People are looking for a way out … neither Palestinians nor Israelis are going anywhere, and nobody's going to leave their homes.”
The entry of aid into Gaza has increased since the ceasefire but has not met the people's needs. Mr Mladenov said talks with Israel have been “difficult but positive” on the humanitarian front but reconstruction remains a distant goal.
“We are very far from reconstruction but need to move forward with early recovery,” he said. The amount and type of aid entering the territory needs to increase, he added.
Despite the hurdles, Mr Mladenov gave some hope of positive news “in the coming weeks”, stressing that a solution needs to be within reach soon. “People in Gaza live in terrible conditions and cannot continue to face another winter in the situation they have right now.”
