
The Monocle Daily Solving conflict in the Middle East: How to break the deadlock
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Nov 11, 2025 Yossi Mekelberg, a Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House, and Julie Norman, an Associate Professor at UCL, delve into the tenuous state of Gaza following a ceasefire. They explore potential long-term solutions, like a confederation model, that could offer a pragmatic alternative to the two-state solution. The discussion also highlights the risks of temporary arrangements solidifying into permanent divides. Rose George joins in to spotlight the global fishing industry's environmental challenges and our complex relationship with seafood.
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Interim Risks Becoming Permanent
- The ceasefire risks becoming a permanent interim if parties fail to agree on mandate and governance details.
- Yossi Mekelberg warns that interim arrangements often ossify into de facto permanent outcomes without concrete plans.
Reconstruction Hinges On Security Mandate
- Reconstruction depends on clear security arrangements and withdrawal mechanisms that currently lack detail.
- Mekelberg stresses that absent a defined ISF mandate, long-term rebuilding and governance will stall.
Bifurcated Development Risk
- Economic bifurcation may follow territorial bifurcation, with Israeli-controlled areas receiving investment.
- Julie Norman warns private investors will favor the safer, Israeli-controlled half, deepening inequality in Gaza.





