Board of Peace Envoy Warns Gaza‑West Bank Violence Threatens Two‑State Dream

During a lively panel at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, Nickolay Mladenov – the Board of Peace’s high‑ranking representative for Gaza – sounded a stark warning. He said the worsening situation on the ground in both Gaza and the West Bank is turning the long‑cherished two‑state solution into something that may soon be “practically impossible”.

“If Gaza continues down the path it’s on now, or if we fail to move forward with the comprehensive plan we negotiated for an October 2025 cease‑fire, the window for a viable two‑state outcome will close,” Mladenov told the audience, his voice edged with frustration.

He went on to explain that more than half of Gaza is now under direct Israeli military control while the remainder remains under Hamas authority. “There’s no credible pathway forward to a political resolution when you have that split, coupled with the surge of violence in the West Bank,” he added.

The Board of Peace, a U.S‑backed coalition of diplomats, has been pushing a roadmap that hinges on a few key steps: a transitional governing body in Gaza, the de‑commissioning of weapons, and an Israeli pull‑back from occupied territories. A weapons hand‑over plan, signed by Hamas on 30 July, envisions the International Stabilisation Force – led by U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers – supervising the process, should the security climate improve.

Hamas’s pledge to hand over its arms to a new Palestinian authority was greeted with scepticism by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, yet former President Donald Trump hailed it as a breakthrough. The optimism, however, has been eclipsed by a fresh wave of clashes in the West Bank that followed Israel’s full‑scale war on Gaza after the Oct 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

“The only way we can get back on track is through transitional governance, weapons de‑commissioning, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza,” Mladenov said, pausing to let the weight of the statement settle.

Even U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, speaking from Kyiv, hinted that Israel’s looming elections were adding a “little irrational” element to its policy choices on Gaza. “We agree on the end state,” he told reporters, “but the election climate makes some decisions… harder to navigate.”

He warned that demilitarising Gaza will be a “tough” task, noting the scale of militarisation was “beyond comprehension”. The remarks underscored the growing frustration among international mediators who see each new flashpoint eroding any remaining goodwill.

With more than 500,000 Israeli settlers living in what the United Nations calls illegal settlements, and a Palestinian population of roughly three million spread across the West Bank and Gaza, the demographic and political complexities are staggering. Yet, as Mladenov emphasized, without a credible cease‑fire and a clear framework for disarmament, the two‑state vision may slip from the realm of possibility into pure speculation.

For now, the Board of Peace continues to press for implementation of the October 2025 cease‑fire plan, hoping that a combination of diplomatic pressure and on‑the‑ground security arrangements can at least halt the spiral before it becomes irreversible.