STATEMENT: The Elders condemn Israel’s continued military attacks and obstruction of aid in Gaza, two months after the ceasefire agreed with Hamas and the release of Israeli hostages. Palestinians’ daily reality on the ground is still one of death, hunger and displacement.

Israel is using the diplomatic cover provided by the ceasefire to continue ethnic cleansing in Gaza and annexation in the West Bank. If President Trump and other leaders allow this to go unchecked, it will jeopardise prospects for a just peace and destroy any hopes of overcoming the genocide and famine in Gaza.

Over 350 Palestinians, including many children, have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October. Gaza’s 320,000 children under five are still at risk of acute malnutrition.

At the same time, Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem face ever-more violent displacement, as Jewish settlements expand and Israel’s government openly accelerates its annexation. This year, more than 220 Palestinians have been killed there and settlers have perpetrated more than 1,600 attacks.

The United States of America, and Arab and European powers with influence, now face a crucial test. UN Security Council Resolution 2803 - the legality of which is under question - must be interpreted in line with the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination. It does not over-ride states’ existing legal obligation to bring an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation.

Any international presence in Gaza must support the revival of Palestinian governance structures that pave the way for statehood, not replace them. The proposed ‘Board of Peace’ in its current form does not present a credible or legitimate way forward.

The Palestinian people have the right to choose their own leaders. We reiterate our call for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli imprisonment, given the vital role he can play as a unifying Palestinian figure in support of a two-state solution.

President Trump’s plan stipulates there should be “no occupation or annexation of Gaza”. But the so-called “yellow line” within the Strip risks partitioning Gaza indefinitely. Reports that settlers have set up camp close to the Israel/Gaza border in preparation for settlement inside Gaza are alarming.

The offer by Hamas to consider freezing and storing its weapons opens up a crucial opportunity to pursue the demilitarisation of Gaza. This will require the full withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces alongside the decommissioning of weapons by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

Constructive dialogue must be pursued. Palestinians in Gaza have little sense that the ceasefire is working. Their suffering risks increasing even further if the current process fails. Without targeted measures against extremists on both sides, progress towards a just and lasting peace will remain out of reach.  

ENDS

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Laureate and Chair of The Elders 

Graça Machel, Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, Co-founder and Deputy Chair of The Elders  

Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the WHO 

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former head of the UN Development Programme 

Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President and Prime Minister of Mongolia 

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate 

Denis Mukwege, physician and human rights advocate, Nobel Peace Laureate 

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 

Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico 

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