Jerusalem —
A prolonged stalemate in Gaza risks cementing the territory’s permanent division, a top international official overseeing the ceasefire has warned, as Israel deepens its control over the enclave.
Nikolay Mladenov, the official in charge of implementing the US-brokered ceasefire deal in Gaza, said failure to advance the agreement would lead to “a dangerous status quo” that would leave two million Palestinians in Gaza without a viable future while entrenching Israel’s long-term presence across more than half of the shattered territory.
“A status quo should not be an option to anyone,” said Mladenov, who serves as the director-general…