In response to the appointment of the members of the Trump Administration’s Gaza Board of Peace, Abby Maxman said:
“The newly appointed Board of Peace members are already dangerously behind on their temporary mandate to protect the lives of the more than 2 million Palestinians that are hanging in the balance. They must now act immediately to improve humanitarian access and enable a sustained and predictable surge of aid and other vital goods, and help ensure and end to the violence and the killings, including the respect for the ceasefire, as essential steps towards a path to sustainable peace and security for all Palestinians and Israelis.
"Since the Board of Peace was established by the UN in November and made responsible for relief and recovery in Gaza, Israel has continued to block aid, restrict the movement of people, and is moving to strip established humanitarian organizations of their registration to operate in the Palestinian territory even as the latest official figures show continued extreme hunger. Palestinians in Gaza still struggle to find safe water, shelter, medical care, ongoing insecurity and brutal winter storms.
"The US-led Board of Peace was granted the power and responsibility to protect the lives and futures of Palestinians in Gaza temporarily. To succeed in its mission, it must not passively accept the unconscionable restrictions that Israel has placed on humanitarian access, lifesaving operations and the movement of people. The Board must ensure that its actions do no harm, uphold international humanitarian and human rights law, and prioritize the safety, dignity and rights of Palestinians above all else.
“President Trump insisted on leading Gaza's recovery, and now he now bears responsibility for ensuring that the Board of Peace delivers to save lives now, uphold international law, and support a credible transition towards Palestinian governance of an independent state that respects the rights, dignity and self-determination of Palestinians and can exist side by side with Isreal in peace and security.”
/ENDS