RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa on Thursday reviewed the readiness of ministries and government agencies to implement emergency response plans in Gaza immediately after the cessation of genocide Sunday.

The discussion took place in an online meeting with representatives of various ministries and relevant authorities, according to a statement from his office.

Mustafa emphasized President Mahmoud Abbas's directives to unify government institutions between the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He highlighted the importance of “strengthening coordination with government teams operating in Gaza, which have consistently provided services, including medical staff, teachers, relief workers, and technical teams for the water and electricity authorities, alongside other governmental entities.”

The prime minister stressed that the scale of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza “necessitates collective efforts under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to aid those suffering from the genocide over the past 15 months.”

During the meeting, Mustafa detailed his recent political engagements with international officials in Norway and Brussels to unify government institutions between the West Bank and Gaza and to bolster coordination among teams working in the Strip.

The attendees discussed plans “to prepare emergency shipments of generators and solar panels to restore vital damaged facilities, along with supplies to repair water networks and Gaza's central power station.”

Qatar announced on Wednesday a cease-fire agreement to end over 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, where nearly 46,800 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 110,000 others injured since Oct. 7, 2023.

The 3-phase deal, set to come into effect on Sunday, includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Under the first phase of the agreement, 33 Israeli captives are set to be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli war on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala