Nickolay Mladenov warns two-state solution faces collapse

Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace high representative for Gaza, warned at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi that a two-state solution is becoming ‘practically impossible’ without the implementation of a specific peace plan.

Mladenov noted that the current division of control in Gaza—with Israeli forces holding more than 50% of the territory and Hamas controlling less than 50%—combined with violence in the West Bank, leaves no credible pathway for a political resolution. He stated that a viable future requires transitional governance in Gaza, the decommissioning of weapons, and an Israeli withdrawal.

While progress has been made regarding the International Stabilization Force and the Palestinian-led National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), Mladenov indicated that efforts are stalled regarding Israel’s commitments. He suggested that Israeli election campaigns may be complicating domestic political decisions. The proposed roadmap includes a plan for Hamas to transfer weapons to a new Palestinian governing body, a move that has met skepticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.