A proposed roadmap for Gaza has been condemned as an attempt to give Israel through diplomacy what it failed to achieve through more than two years of genocide: the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, without guaranteeing a full Israeli withdrawal from the besieged enclave.
The plan, circulated Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, comes despite Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire and its failure to complete even the first phase of the agreement. Critics say Washington and Tel Aviv are now trying to force Palestinians into surrendering their weapons while Israel expands its military control inside Gaza, including along the so-called Yellow Line.
READ: Board of Peace envoy says there is ‘no recovery’ in Gaza despite ceasefire gains
However, critics say the roadmap demands Palestinian disarmament while failing to guarantee Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. Palestinian analyst Muhammad Shehada warned that the proposal could allow Israel to retain around 18 per cent of the Strip, including some of Gaza’s most fertile agricultural land, even after weapons and militias are removed.
Palestinians are asked to hand over all “heavy weapons” including rifles & Ak-47s, destroy all tunnels & militant infrastructure within 90 days BEFORE any Israeli withdrawal or reconstruction, & trust that Israel… https://t.co/fgb1P8fYfH pic.twitter.com/317qygQl6a
