UN Envoy Urges Israel to Allow Technocratic Committee, International Force into Gaza

Nikolai Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, has called on Israel to immediately permit the entry of a Palestinian technocratic committee and an international stabilization force into the Gaza Strip, aligning with a plan proposed by former US President Donald Trump. This appeal came in a letter to Yoram Halevy, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, in response to Halevy's decision to suspend the import of goods through private traders, the primary channel for most supplies to Gaza. Mladenov stated that Hamas's "blackmail of traders and importers is not a new phenomenon" and warned that halting private sector imports could similarly affect humanitarian aid reaching Gaza via the UN and international organizations. He emphasized that resolving the issue is impossible while Hamas controls the Strip. Mladenov urged the Israeli government to approve a pilot program where the technocratic committee and international force would begin operations in a limited area of Rafah, currently under Israeli military control and without a Hamas presence. The Israeli Security Cabinet had previously approved a limited deployment of the international force in Rafah in late July, ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, but the decision was later reversed due to pressure from far-right ministers. Mladenov also requested approval for the committee and force to expand their activities in Gaza, aiming to disarm Hamas and transfer administrative control to the committee. He further called for cooperation with the UN to develop a new plan for regulating goods entering Gaza. In a related matter, Mladenov urged the Israeli military to collaborate with the UN on solutions for Gaza's humanitarian crisis, including temporary housing, sanitation, and medical care. Israel has been restricting the entry of relief convoys for reconstruction, linking it to Hamas's disarmament, and imposing security-related limitations on permanent tents. Reports indicate that approximately 40,000 cubic meters of sewage flow daily into the sea from Gaza, with Israel restricting equipment imports for wastewater treatment facilities due to security concerns. The UN and humanitarian organizations have consistently stressed that aid entering through humanitarian channels is insufficient for Gaza's long-term needs, advocating for the expansion of commercial channels and a continuous flow of essential goods.