Ramallah: Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa reaffirmed on Tuesday that Israel does not want to see a Palestinian state and continues to wage war on our people, not only through killing and destruction but also through economic blockade, stressing the need to confront these actions.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Prime Minister emphasized ongoing efforts to recover withheld Palestinian funds and secure additional financial resources to meet the Government's obligations and implement development projects aimed at improving public services. He stressed that recovering these funds remains the key pathway to achieving financial stability.
Speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, the Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of the outcomes of the recent International Conference on realizing Palestinian statehood, held in New York with the participation of representatives from 128 countries and international organizations. He noted that numerous states have since contacted President Mahmoud Abbas with intentions to recognize the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly in September.
The Prime Minister expressed sincere appreciation to all the countries and international organizations that participated in the conference, particularly the conference co-chairs and the heads of the working groups. Mustafa stated that the international community increasingly believes that the realization of the State of Palestine is the only viable solution to the conflict. He criticized the ongoing delay in enforcing international resolutions, which has led to the tragic situation of killing, starvation, and forced displacement affecting our people today.
In light of the conference outcomes, the Prime Minister highlighted directives from President Mahmoud Abbas to intensify diplomatic efforts with countries that have yet to recognize the State of Palestine. He urged them to do so and to support and endorse the conference outcomes. A governmental task force will be formed to implement the items in the annex to the final communiqu©, translating them into practical logistical and economic projects.
The Prime Minister announced the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding with Saudi Arabia during the New York visit, focusing on digitizing and developing the education sector, digital transformation and e-government services, and building and training government workforce capacities to improve government performance and service delivery.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed ongoing efforts to convene the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in collaboration with Egypt, as well as a high-level donor conference to support reconstruction in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. This is seen as a means to strengthen the steadfastness of our people on their land and counter forced displacement, annexation, and land confiscation.
The Cabinet discussed the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the escalating colonists' attacks on villages and towns across the West Bank, including Jerusalem. It called on the international community to activate all available pressure tools to halt the spread of famine in the Gaza Strip and to resume the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid. The Cabinet expressed gratitude to all countries, international organizations, and institutions that continue their efforts to provide humanitarian and relief assistance to the besieged and war-torn Gaza Strip.
