Board of Peace warns premature Gaza governance would collapse within days

During a session on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, warned that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is not ready to govern the Strip at present. He argued that if the committee were to assume responsibility now, it would be “eaten up alive” within a week due to Israeli restrictions, Hamas’s continued armament, and the absence of a trained Palestinian police force being prepared in Egypt.

Mladenov stressed that a stable, apolitical transitional authority and the de-commissioning of Hamas weapons are prerequisites for any handover. He also noted that donor nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will withhold reconstruction money until they see credible stability. The Board of Peace announced a six-month, $2.4 billion recovery program covering 66 projects, but emphasized the need for rapid coordination with Israel and Egypt to move forward.