Egypt presented its comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip to 100 ambassadors and representatives of embassies and international organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasizing the existence of essential requirements for the plan’s success.
These requirements include:
- Consolidating the ceasefire
- Managing the early recovery and reconstruction phase in a manner that guarantees Palestinian ownership
- Treating the situation in Gaza Strip as an integral part of the Palestinian territories
- Enabling the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza to assume its responsibilities by establishing an independent, non-partisan committee to manage the Strip’s affairs for a transitional period under the umbrella of the Palestinian government.
The Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Badr Abdelatty said the plan also includes Egypt and Jordan beginning to train Palestinian police personnel in preparation for their deployment in the Gaza Strip.
He explained that the plan has received broad regional and international support, and that Egypt is currently working to arrange for a Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo to secure the necessary funding to implement it.
Abdelatty noted that there is a proposal for the Security Council to consider establishing an international presence in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, by adopting a council resolution to deploy peacekeeping or international protection forces with clear mandates and powers, within a time-frame that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
International cooperation
The minister also made a series of phone calls with the foreign ministers of the member states of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee.
They discussed coordinating positions to promote the Arab-Islamic Gaza reconstruction plan, implement the work of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, and conduct the necessary contacts with international parties to mobilize political and material support for the Arab-Islamic plan.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, gave a comprehensive presentation on the rehabilitation of the health sector in Gaza.
He reviewed the most prominent features of Egypt’s emergency health response and the health services it has provided to more than 107,000 citizens who have crossed into Egypt since the beginning of the war, at a cost exceeding US$570 million.
