UNICEF found in a report issued in June that acute malnutrition among children under five in accessible areas of Gaza has dropped by an astounding 82 percent in under one year.
Clearly, humanitarian aid is reaching the most vulnerable in Gaza.
“It should be no surprise,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz “that when terrorist groups stop hoarding and using aid as a cruel lever for control, that people’s lives get better.”
“And for the first time in modern history, a new future for Gaza is credibly within reach: one without war, without terrorist overlords, without tunnels, without hostages, and without suffering.”
But that requires continued pressure on Hamas to abide by the terms of President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict that was endorsed by the UN Security Council. Under the plan an International Stabilization Force, or ISF, has been established under Resolution 2803.
Now, for the first time, troops and personnel from partner nations are scheduled to arrive to keep the peace. Tactical vehicles are already at the ISF logistics base. Countries as far as Uganda, Morocco, and Kazakhstan have offered thousands of troops. While they are not moving as quickly as we would like, they are moving, affirmed Ambassador Waltz.
The disarmament of Hamas will be closely scrutinized. It must be verified by objective parties. Nothing will be taken on trust, said Ambassador Waltz.
“With a verified process, we have the potential to unlock a future for the people of Gaza free from Hamas, free from suffering under terrorists that raped and pillaged them for a generation.”
And, once Hamas demonstrates full compliance with their commitments, Israel will begin its phased, and eventual complete, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Gaza cannot rebuild while Hamas retains the ability to plunge it back into war, stressed Ambassador Waltz. “We will be frozen in a cycle of humanitarian aid rather than rebuilding until Hamas disarms and demilitarizes.”
Last fall there was still war, hostages, and suffering. Now, less than a year after the passage of resolution 2803, there are no longer hostages in Gaza. Aid is beginning to reach those in need.
Hamas has agreed to disarm in full. The IDF is pulling back. And the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is authorized to move in.
Clearly, President Trump’s Peace Plan, now the 15-point roadmap, is the best hope for peace in Gaza. “Let’s please put politics and agendas aside,” urged Ambassador Waltz, and “let’s support this new way.”
(VOA News)
