A Palestinian perspective on the Gaza war

With almost 40,000 dead Palestinians and over 1,000 dead Israelis, the war in Gaza is far from over. But one day it will end. And then what? In the season premiere of GZERO World Ian Bremmer meets with Palestinian-American diplomat Riyadh Mansour to discuss the Gaza war and its possible outcome. Mansour is the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations and was appointed to the post by Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank in partnership with Israel but has no jurisdiction over Gaza – at least for now.

In a wide-ranging and candid interview, Mansour stresses the need for justice and an end to the occupation for both Israelis and Palestinians. He discusses the United States’ role in promoting a ceasefire and a two-state solution and highlights growing international support for the Palestinian cause. “There is something in the air,” Mansour tells Bremmer. “People want justice for the Palestinians. People want this war and this conflict to end. People want the occupation to end because it is good for Israel and good for the Palestinians.”

Perhaps the most controversial part of the interview concerns Hamas, an organization that Mansour distances himself from without openly condemning. Mansour laments the killing of innocent civilians and calls for the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides. “Innocent people, innocent civilians must not be exposed to harm. That is international law.”

He also touches on the future government of Gaza and the problematic role of Hamas in these talks, saying that negotiations are ongoing and that progress can be made through diplomatic efforts. “Now we have to put things in order internally with all the political groups,” says Mansour, suggesting that Hamas’ role in the future of Gaza is far from certain.

Season 7 of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly series on world politics, premiered on Friday, July 5, on public television stations nationwide (check local TV guides).

New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don’t miss an episode: Subscribe to the GZERO YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔).