THE Elders, a group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, issued a statement Tuesday welcoming a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump while cautioning that lasting peace requires ending Israel’s occupation of all Palestinian territories.
The organisation, chaired by former Colombian President and Nobel Peace Laureate Juan Manuel Santos, described the agreement reached at Sharm el-Sheikh as presenting “a real opportunity to end genocide and famine in Gaza” but emphasised it “must also lead to a path towards a fair and lasting peace for all Palestinians and Israelis.”
“We call on all parties to act with urgency and in good faith to seize this opportunity to secure a lasting ceasefire and troop withdrawal, free Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and restore UN-led humanitarian aid at scale,” The Elders stated.
The group warned that Trump’s vision of achieving a “strong, durable and everlasting peace” can only succeed if “grounded in the fundamental principles of international law” and ensures “an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of all Palestinian territory within the 1967 borders, not just of Gaza.”
While praising aspects of the US plan that assert “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza, and that the Palestinians living there will not be forced to leave,” The Elders cautioned that “indefinite security control over Gaza by Israel, however, would represent a continuation of the unlawful occupation.”
“Security for Palestinians and Israelis can only be achieved through equal sovereignty and statehood,” the statement declared.
The organisation called for Palestinian leadership to have “an equal seat at the negotiating table alongside Israelis,” stating that “genuine Palestinian engagement is essential to the process as it goes forward, particularly on transitional governance and security arrangements for Gaza, and the role and mandate of any international stabilisation force.”
The Elders insisted that “the long-term governance of Gaza must be Palestinian-led to ensure independence and legitimacy, paving the way for a unified State of Palestine that integrates Gaza with the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”
The group emphasized the importance of maintaining “momentum on recognition of the State of Palestine by all UN members, to uphold accountability under international law, and to reassert the role of UN agencies (including UNRWA) in the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
In a stark warning, The Elders stated: “If Israel is given a free hand to continue its policy of annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, regardless of any ceasefire in Gaza, any hope of peace will remain illusory.”
The statement urged continued international pressure, declaring that “making further progress will be a test of leaders’ resolve and commitment. Now is not the time to relax pressure on either Israel or Hamas, particularly for the US, European and Arab states with leverage via various political, cultural and economic relationships.”
The Elders concluded by expressing solidarity with “the brave voices across all of Palestine and Israel who continue to promote a future based on peaceful co-existence between the two peoples.”
The statement was signed by 11 members, including former heads of state, Nobel laureates, and human rights advocates: Juan Manuel Santos, Graça Machel, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Helen Clark, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Hina Jilani, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Denis Mukwege, Mary Robinson, and Ernesto Zedillo.
