The Board of Peace’s top envoy said Sunday that Israel would not be required to withdraw from Gaza before the enclave’s militant factions are disarmed.
Close
Nickolay Mladenov in Davos, in January. Credit: AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI
Nickolay Mladenov in Davos, in January. Credit: AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI
Speaking to Channel 12 News, Nickolay Mladenov said Israel would only withdraw after the verified decommissioning of weapons, saying, “Nobody is required to do anything. Last of all, Israel, before we actually have verified steps on the ground.”
In the interview, which aired hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the board’s 15-point roadmap for Gaza, Mladenov said Israel would be able to respond militarily to imminent threats.
Asked about the role Turkey and Qatar would play in Gaza, Mladenov said they would be involved in verifying the implementation of the roadmap, but emphasised the process will be U.S.-led.
“I’m not building any of this on the basis of trust. And none of us are. And we’re very clear-eyed about the risks going forward,” he said. “we’re building it on verification. And this is pretty much the basic premise which I would like both sides to really trust: that because of the verification process, we actually have a chance.”
Mladenov said Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza have a shared interest in ending the cycle of violence. “What happened on October 7 will never, ever be allowed to happen as long as we have a full implementation of the Board of Peace’s plan,” he said.
According to the envoy, the only alternative to the roadmap is the increased risk of another October 7-style attack.
“I think what many in Israel don’t understand is that they believe that we have based this whole plan on trust,” he said. “The only way that we do this is if we all agree that nothing happens on trust and everything needs to be verified and everything needs to be done in a step-by-step approach.”