Palestinian envoy: lasting Gaza truce requires full Israeli withdrawal

Palestine's permanent observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has outlined the fundamental conditions his government believes are necessary for a lasting peace in Gaza, placing a full Israeli withdrawal and Palestinian sovereignty at the center of any durable solution. Speaking before the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Mansour welcomed the current ceasefire but argued it marks only the beginning of a necessary political process.

Conditions for a Permanent Ceasefire: Sovereignty and Withdrawal

Ambassador Mansour explicitly linked the long-term success of the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire to decisive political steps. "The ceasefire’s permanence and success require that Israel cease trying to dictate the future of Gaza and to fully withdraw from the territory," he stated. He firmly rejected any Israeli claim to sovereignty, asserting, "Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian territory. It belongs to the Palestinian people, nobody else." Mansour called for the reunification of Gaza with the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and stressed that the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood "cannot be disposed of," urging Israel to halt any plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians.

A Call for Equal Urgency in Addressing Palestinian Suffering

While acknowledging that the ceasefire had saved lives and facilitated the return of all Israeli hostages, Mansour challenged the international community to apply the same urgency to Palestinian civilian casualties. He posed pointed questions about accountability: "What about the countless Palestinian families whose loved ones have been killed, with thousands of bodies still crushed and buried under rubble yet to be found?" He demanded that "the suffering of the Palestinian people... must be ended with equal urgency," highlighting issues of detainees, hunger, and alleged abuses. He also condemned Israeli actions against humanitarian agencies, accusing Israel of waging a "war against humanitarian actors," including UNRWA, and cited attacks on UN facilities.

The Path Forward: Recovery, Rebuilding, and a Just Peace

Mansour concluded his address by reiterating Palestine's readiness to cooperate with the United States and other international partners to uphold the fragile ceasefire and begin the monumental task of recovery. "Palestine needs a just peace more than any other country because it suffers most in its absence," he said, framing the current moment as a critical juncture. He portrayed Palestinians as waiting for the opportunity to rebuild their lives and society, actively "seeking a peaceful path to freedom." His statement served as both a critique of the current imbalance in diplomatic focus and a roadmap for what the Palestinian leadership views as the only viable foundation for lasting stability: an end to occupation and the realization of sovereign statehood.