The United States continues to support the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, as they work toward a future that offers prosperity and security for all of the people in Gaza, stated Ambassador Tammy Bruce, U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations.
Recent discussions in Cyprus included in-depth planning for the transition to the new NCAG-led governance structure in Gaza, which is urgently needed. But first Hamas must lay down its arms, as they committed to doing under the Peace Plan.
The U.S. welcomes pledges from several European countries to provide a total of nearly one billion dollars in early recovery money for Gaza.
“Right now, three very different futures are possible,” said Ambassador Bruce. “In one future ... war returns to Gaza. In another, the international community turns a blind eye, as it has done far too many times already. That would allow Hamas to hold the Palestinian people in Gaza hostage for years to come, threatening the security of Israel and the entire Middle East.”
“Neither of these futures is acceptable.”
“With their commitment to action, our partners in the region and in Europe are opening the door on the third and transformative option,” said Ambassador Bruce.
That door is the Plan put forward by President Trump, implemented through the Board of Peace and the NCAG.
“Hamas has proven by its actions that it will do everything they can to retain power. They hope that we . . . will give up and turn a blind eye. I am here to say,” vowed Ambassador Bruce, “we will not.”
That is why the Board of Peace is moving forward with pilot programs in southern Gaza, despite Hamas’ continued intransigence. These projects will demonstrate what all of Gaza can be as soon as Hamas decides to uphold their commitments to the Peace Plan.
In another welcome development, Morocco signed up as a troop contributor to the International Stabilization Force on July 15, the first country to do so.
At the same time, the truth about Hamas continues to be exposed. On July 12, the UN issued a statement saying Hamas continues to obstruct and exploit humanitarian operations in Gaza. They continually put the lives of aid workers in danger. They raided a World Food Program warehouse and assaulted the truck drivers there. Indeed, these incidents are not isolated but are part of a pattern.
Hamas cannot play any role in the future of Gaza because they are a proxy for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Ambassador Bruce. “Iran wants to keep the Palestinian people hostage to Hamas. We cannot and will not let them.”