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Envoy Says Gaza Peace Plan Hinges on Israeli Follow-Through
(MENAFN) Israel must follow through on its obligations under the Gaza peace roadmap before the process can advance, Nickolay Mladenov, High Representative for Gaza at the Board of Peace, said Monday.
Speaking at the third Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, Mladenov acknowledged progress since a year ago but said conditions remain far short of what's needed for a lasting political settlement. "We are still at the point at which we need to make sure that what has been agreed is going to be implemented and is going to change significantly the lives of the people in Gaza," he said. "Unfortunately, we're not there yet."
He said talks with Israel are ongoing regarding "the implementation of their part of the commitments" — namely, a withdrawal in exchange for Hamas's disarmament and the start of reconstruction in the enclave.
Mladenov also referenced seven months of negotiations with Hamas over disarmament, calling them "very intense, very difficult discussions." He credited mediation by Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar, along with backing from the UAE and other regional players, for keeping the process alive. He said Gaza's population remains trapped in "terrible conditions" and cannot endure another winter under present circumstances.
Laying out the road ahead, Mladenov identified three possible trajectories: preserving the status quo, expanding Israeli military operations and reoccupying Gaza, or moving forward with the Board of Peace roadmap. He called the third path the "reasonable" one, requiring disarmament by mutual agreement, a coordinated Israeli withdrawal, and reconstruction backed by international and regional support.
He cautioned that stalling the roadmap risks making a two-state solution "practically impossible." "The only way that we can build back to that is if we have transitional governance, if we have decommissioning of weapons, if we have withdrawal in Gaza," he said.
Asked whether a new Israeli government emerging from October elections might abandon the current administration's commitments, Mladenov acknowledged that election cycles often trigger "knee-jerk reactions" and political posturing. Still, he said Israelis broadly want to move past the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, which he said has inflicted "massive emotional, political, human suffering" on Israelis in addition to Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe. He argued a longer-term outlook is essential despite short-term electoral pressures.
"Neither Palestinians nor Israelis are going anywhere. Nobody is going to leave their homes," he said, calling for restored political dialogue and a path toward coexistence.
The Board of Peace was launched in January under US President Donald Trump's broader Gaza initiative, with Trump chairing the body. Backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, it oversees Gaza's transition across governance, security and reconstruction. A separate Palestinian technocratic body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, was formed to handle civilian administration and rebuild public institutions in the territory.
On July 31, the Board of Peace released a roadmap for the plan's next phase, covering Hamas's disarmament, a phased Israeli withdrawal, the handover of administration to the Palestinian technocratic committee, deployment of an international stabilization force, and reconstruction efforts.
The Hili Forum, themed "Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction," is co-organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.
Speaking at the third Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, Mladenov acknowledged progress since a year ago but said conditions remain far short of what's needed for a lasting political settlement. "We are still at the point at which we need to make sure that what has been agreed is going to be implemented and is going to change significantly the lives of the people in Gaza," he said. "Unfortunately, we're not there yet."
He said talks with Israel are ongoing regarding "the implementation of their part of the commitments" — namely, a withdrawal in exchange for Hamas's disarmament and the start of reconstruction in the enclave.
Mladenov also referenced seven months of negotiations with Hamas over disarmament, calling them "very intense, very difficult discussions." He credited mediation by Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar, along with backing from the UAE and other regional players, for keeping the process alive. He said Gaza's population remains trapped in "terrible conditions" and cannot endure another winter under present circumstances.
Laying out the road ahead, Mladenov identified three possible trajectories: preserving the status quo, expanding Israeli military operations and reoccupying Gaza, or moving forward with the Board of Peace roadmap. He called the third path the "reasonable" one, requiring disarmament by mutual agreement, a coordinated Israeli withdrawal, and reconstruction backed by international and regional support.
He cautioned that stalling the roadmap risks making a two-state solution "practically impossible." "The only way that we can build back to that is if we have transitional governance, if we have decommissioning of weapons, if we have withdrawal in Gaza," he said.
Asked whether a new Israeli government emerging from October elections might abandon the current administration's commitments, Mladenov acknowledged that election cycles often trigger "knee-jerk reactions" and political posturing. Still, he said Israelis broadly want to move past the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, which he said has inflicted "massive emotional, political, human suffering" on Israelis in addition to Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe. He argued a longer-term outlook is essential despite short-term electoral pressures.
"Neither Palestinians nor Israelis are going anywhere. Nobody is going to leave their homes," he said, calling for restored political dialogue and a path toward coexistence.
The Board of Peace was launched in January under US President Donald Trump's broader Gaza initiative, with Trump chairing the body. Backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, it oversees Gaza's transition across governance, security and reconstruction. A separate Palestinian technocratic body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, was formed to handle civilian administration and rebuild public institutions in the territory.
On July 31, the Board of Peace released a roadmap for the plan's next phase, covering Hamas's disarmament, a phased Israeli withdrawal, the handover of administration to the Palestinian technocratic committee, deployment of an international stabilization force, and reconstruction efforts.
The Hili Forum, themed "Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction," is co-organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.
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