UN: Gaza reconstruction unsustainable without strong political process

New York
Ramez Alakbarov, the UN Representative and humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, told the Security Council that Gaza’s devastated state cannot be rebuilt sustainably without a robust political process. He warned that Gaza’s situation is deepening pre-existing crises across the occupied Palestinian territories and said that without immediate change the risk of a broader conflagration will rise.
Alakbarov urged full implementation of Security Council resolution 2803 (2025) and a comprehensive plan to end the war in Gaza. Referring to his recent visit to Gaza, he said that while there have been marginal improvements, progress remains painfully slow, and Israeli restrictions on the delivery of large-scale construction and other essential supplies are impeding recovery.
He noted that intensified Israeli airstrikes and the expansion of areas under Israeli military control have increased pressure on the civilian population, confining many residents to roughly one-third of Gaza’s territory. Alakbarov warned that as long as Gaza remains devastated, violence in the West Bank will rise, Palestinian institutions will stay divided, and security will deteriorate — conditions under which a political process cannot succeed.
He reported escalating fatalities, displacement and property losses in the West Bank due to rising violence, alongside ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities, homes, places of worship and civilian infrastructure; Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians have also caused deaths. Citing international law, Alakbarov said Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory are illegal and urged Israel to take immediate and effective measures to curb settler violence, protect Palestinians and hold perpetrators accountable.
Alakbarov also warned that Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues has pushed the Palestinian Authority into a dire financial crisis, undermining its ability to deliver education, health and other basic services and to pay its employees full salaries. He called on all relevant parties to create a conducive environment for the proposed parliamentary elections on 28 November so that all eligible Palestinian voters can exercise their franchise freely, and stressed the need for urgent measures to rein in West Bank violence, support the Palestinian Authority and enable it to manage Gaza.