UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Thor Wennesland UN Special Coordinator announced conditions for a long-term solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict Peace and Security
Speaking at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Thor Wennesland called on all parties to recognize the critical role that the Palestinian Authority has to play in Gaza and to work to ensure its return. “There is no other credible alternative,” he emphasized.
Seven months of conflict
We are talking about restoring normal life in Gaza, which has been experiencing almost seven months of bloody conflict. Israel’s military response to horrific terrorist attacks on the country by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups has left more than 36,000 Palestinians dead. 125 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Negotiations stopped
Tor Wennesland reported that negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages have stalled, and Gazans are in a desperate situation – as Israel launches a large-scale ground operation in and around Rafah, the situation is only getting worse. “The horrific incident on Sunday, in which 45 Palestinians were killed and 200 wounded when the tents in which they were sheltering were burned down, does not stand apart from the shocking number of civilian casualties. “I remind all parties of their obligations to protect civilians,” said the UN representative.
The threat of regional conflict
He recalled that “negative trends” are growing in the occupied West Bank, and warned that the risk of regional conflict increases with every day of the war in Gaza. The Special Coordinator expressed “particular concern” about Israel’s lifting of a military order banning Israelis from entering three evacuated settlements in the northern West Bank, noting that this policy has been in place since the disengagement law was passed in 2005.
According to him, the threat of serious escalation has increased throughout the region. There continued to be skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in Lebanon, Israeli strikes against targets in Syria, air attacks on Israel by armed groups, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. “This trajectory must change if we are to avoid further catastrophe,” Wennesland stressed, calling on the parties to return to the negotiating table to agree on the release of the hostages and an immediate ceasefire.
Conditions for a long-term settlement
The special coordinator also noted the need to “create the basis” for the restoration of Gaza and a long-term political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He laid out the basic conditions for such a development: there should be no long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza, while at the same time Israel’s legitimate security concerns, especially after the terrorist attacks of October 7, must be taken into account. In addition, he said, the Gaza Strip must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state – without reducing its territory. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank must be united politically, economically and administratively. They must be governed by a Palestinian government recognized and supported by the Palestinian people and the international community. If transitional mechanisms are required, they must be designed in such a way as to create a unified Palestinian government within a precise and limited time frame.
Strengthen the institutions of the Palestinian Authority
He called for strengthening and preserving the institutions of the Palestinian Authority, rejecting any steps aimed at systematically undermining its viability. “More than a year ago, I warned that thirty years of state-building in Palestine were under serious threat. This is even more relevant today, and the consequences are even more serious,” he warned. led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, which will include eight ministers from Gaza, and help it overcome the severe financial crisis in the Palestinian Authority. “I call on all parties to recognize the critical role that the Palestinian Authority must play in Gaza and to work to ensure its return – there is no other credible alternative,” the speaker stressed.