Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called for the immediate removal of “all obstacles” he said Israel has imposed on implementing the second phase of a US-backed Gaza ceasefire.
In a speech delivered by Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa at the African Union summit in Ethiopia, Abbas emphasised the necessity of enabling the work of a technocratic committee established to oversee daily governance in the enclave.
Removing these barriers is crucial to “ensure continuity of services, coordinate humanitarian efforts and enable a swift recovery,” Abbas said.
Abbas accused Israel of “continuing to violate” the ceasefire agreement with Hamas that took effect in October. He noted that continued violence threatens the truce.
“From the announcement of the ceasefire until today, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed, which threatens the durability of the truce and the full implementation of its second phase,” he said.
Despite the truce entering its second phase last month, the Israeli army retains control over more than half of the Gaza Strip. Fifteen experts on the technocratic committee, overseen by a “Board of Peace” set up by US President Donald Trump, remain based in Egypt.
This comes despite a partial reopening on Feb 2 of the Rafah border crossing.
Nickolay Mladenov, a diplomat appointed by Trump as high representative for Gaza, cautioned on Friday that “a number of conditions need to be met” before the committee can enter the territory. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Mladenov said Hamas must transfer civilian control of institutions.
“This is not a government coming in after an election. This is far much more complicated,” Mladenov said. “We need to make sure that we have the framework agreed in place on the decommissioning of weapons in Gaza.”
Separately, African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf opened the organisation’s 39th summit by declaring the “extermination” of the Palestinian people must end. “In the Middle East, Palestine and the suffering of its people also challenge our consciences. The extermination of this people must stop,” Youssouf said.
