More than 190 civil society organizations and human rights defenders issued a joint statement calling on the World Bank to withdraw from the “Peace Council” and end its facilitation of financing related to the reconstruction and development of Gaza.
The signatories explained that this call comes in light of what they described as the ongoing genocide in the occupied Palestinian territories. They criticized the World Bank’s role as a limited trustee of the Gaza Reconstruction and Development Mediation Fund (GRAD) and as a member of the executive board of the so-called “Peace Council.”
The statement indicated that the establishment of this council and its proposed role in the reconstruction of Gaza constitute a clear violation of international law, contribute to entrenching the Israeli military occupation, deny the Palestinian right to self-determination, and provide diplomatic cover for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It further noted that the plans proposed within this framework contribute to deepening the physical, cultural, social, and economic displacement of Palestinians and treat the Gaza Strip separately from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, thus reinforcing a colonial approach that disregards the unity of the Palestinian territory. The organizations collectively called on the World Bank administration to immediately withdraw from the “Peace Council” and take urgent steps to terminate the GRAD fund, along with recognizing the illegitimacy of any imposed framework for reconstruction.
