Palestine outlines early recovery plan for post-war Gaza: Minister

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said Tuesday that his government has developed early recovery plans that will be implemented immediately after the cessation of Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.

Mustafa's remarks came during a meeting with British Development Minister Anneliese Dodds in Ramallah, according to a statement from his office.

“The government has prepared plans for early recovery and reconstruction to intensify efforts in Gaza as soon as the aggression ends,” said Mustafa, who is also the foreign minister.​​​​​​​

Mustafa outlined key elements of the plan, including restoring services, providing emergency relief, unifying institutions, empowering the private sector, offering temporary housing and pursuing comprehensive reconstruction.

Gaza, under an Israeli blockade for 18 years, is described as the world's largest open-air prison. The current war has displaced nearly 2 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, forcing them into dire conditions marked by extreme shortages of food, water and medicine.

Mustafa reiterated the pressing need for global action to end the catastrophic conditions in Gaza. He called attention to the blockade of most crossings, restrictions on humanitarian aid and the breakdown of essential services, including health care, water, sanitation and electricity.

Since launching a genocidal war against Gaza following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas in October 2023, Israel has killed more than 44,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 105,000, according to official figures.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn widespread international condemnation that notes that starvation tactics and blocking humanitarian aid deliveries amount to deliberate attempts to destroy an entire population.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its actions in Gaza, which have drawn mounting international condemnation.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio