UN Special Coordinator: Two-State Solution 'On Life Support' Amid Gaza Crisis

Critical Moment for Middle East Peace

• 🚨 The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ad Interim, Sigrid Kaag, describes the current moment as very difficult, stating the two-state solution is on life support.
• 🕊️ She urges member states to demonstrate courage and conviction for peace to prevail over politics.

Challenges in Gaza Aid Delivery

• 🚚 Kaag addresses concerns about aid trucks, explaining that new measures and restrictions have hampered the UN's ability to operate in the active war zone.
• ⚖️ She emphasizes that aid needs to be allowed in sustained volumes to reach all people, and that the UN and humanitarian partners must be able to do their job in accordance with international humanitarian law.
• ⚠️ The focus, she stresses, is on whether aid reaches people in the right volume to meet their broad needs, rather than getting stuck on specific numbers of trucks.

UN's Role and International Law

• 🤝 The UN is willing to facilitate and help, maintaining principled positions on the realization of rights, safety, and security, and the need for a two-state solution.
• 🌍 Kaag highlights that international consensus and legitimacy rest with UN resolutions and the Security Council.
• 🚫 She views the privatization of aid and weaponization of aid as a dangerous precedent with global implications, urging support for the UN's role.

Concerns and Future Outlook

• 💔 The situation in Gaza is marked by immense suffering, with expressions like "I'll see you in heaven" reflecting deep sadness and a lack of hope for the immediate future.
• 🚧 Actions such as settlements, violence, and housing demolitions risk creating an irreversible situation where the two-state solution becomes unrealizable.
• ✈️ Kaag notes the importance of ongoing contacts with negotiators, particularly Egypt and Qatar, while emphasizing the UN's clear plan and need for continued support for its operational methods.