For a territory at the heart of a searing, years-long international conflict and decades-long occupation, the Gaza Strip is small. At only 365 square kilometres, the enclave represents just 1.3 per cent of the Mandatory Palestine that existed between 1920 and 1948. Yet Gaza is being further partitioned between occupying Israeli forces and Hamas militants.
According to Israeli NGO Gisha the army’s so-called Yellow Line – beyond which Palestinians are forbidden from travelling – leaves well over 50 per cent of Gaza in Israeli hands. This fact has not gone unnoticed by those tasked with ending the conflict. In an exclusive interview this week with The National, Nickolay Mladenov, high representative for Gaza on the US-led Board of Peace, said there were currently “two Gazas”.
"We have one part of Gaza, which is under Hamas control, where only humanitarian aid and some commercial goods are allowed to go in, and we have another part of Gaza, which is controlled by the Israeli army," he explained. "If this situation continues for a long period of time, I don't think this is in the interest of anyone."
It is certainly not in the interests of Palestinians in Gaza, two million of whom are struggling to get back to some semblance of normality after years of Israeli bombardment and suffering. When coupled with the ongoing cantonisation of the occupied West Bank, it is clear that further sub-dividing and already-fragmented Palestinian society is not only unjust but a recipe for further conflict.
This is where the Board of Peace comes in. Although some countries remain divided about working with the organisation led by US President Donald Trump, it is proving its relevance by providing much of the impetus required to tackle many of Gaza’s myriad challenges. Stabilisation, disarmament and reconstruction are just three of the key areas in which the body is playing an important role, such as Board of Peace donor countries’ pledge to provide $17 billion to rebuild the shattered enclave.
Indeed, having informed voices such as that of Mr Mladenov’s heard at the highest level is critical. There, American and Israeli representatives will hear from the former UN special co-ordinator about the need to have Palestinians in the driving seat when it comes to reconstruction or disarming Hamas. Important too is Mr Mladenov’s position that the board “has no intention to sidestep or to overtake the United Nations”.
There is no denying that the Board of Peace has a difficult job ahead. This task is not helped by arbitrary timetables presented by Israel’s leaders; a week ago, an aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas had 60 days to disarm or the Israeli army would "complete" its mission. For now, however, its call for an end to the “two Gazas” should be heeded.
