During its weekly session today, Tuesday, the Council of Ministers called on various international parties to assume their legal responsibilities towards the occupying authority in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, especially in light of the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza and the settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the occupation police, headed by the extremist Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, and preventing worshipers from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, reiterating the need for the international community to do more than make statements or express rejection or concern, in light of the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and attempts to transform it into a place unfit for human life.

Prime Minister Dr. Mohamed Mustafa stressed that after 312 days of systematic killing and destruction in the Gaza Strip, the health situation has gotten out of control, especially after recording more than 100,000 cases of viral hepatitis, the spread of skin diseases, respiratory diseases, malnutrition, and others. What exacerbates the seriousness of the situation is the fact that the vast majority of hospitals and medical centers in the Strip are out of service.

Mustafa stressed that the government is following with great interest the reports circulating about the emergence of the polio virus in the Gaza Strip, and is awaiting the results of the sample tests, which require a few additional days, pointing out that the government is working to provide one million and two hundred thousand doses to vaccinate all children in the Gaza Strip from the age of one day to eight years, in the event that the emergence of the virus is confirmed, God forbid.

Mustafa, on behalf of the Cabinet, thanked the thousands of our people who responded to the Ministry of Health’s call to donate blood to patients in the Gaza Strip, which was brought into the Strip in cooperation with the “Rahma” Foundation, in addition to bringing in medications for hemophilia patients - blood deficiency.

On another level, the Prime Minister pointed out that the government, represented by the Ministry of Public Works and in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), held a workshop yesterday, which included more than 30 international institutions, diplomatic missions, local institutions and specialists, to discuss mechanisms for removing rubble in the Gaza Strip, and to prepare the necessary plans and coordination between the various competent authorities to begin their work immediately after the aggression stops.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister praised the efforts of various ministries and government agencies in serving our people, especially the efforts of the Ministries of Development, Relief and Health in coordinating with international relief organizations to expand emergency relief efforts, and pressure to open more crossings and deliver the largest possible amount of aid to those who deserve it. He also praised the efforts of the State of Palestine’s missions abroad, especially the Palestinian Embassy in the Arab Republic of Egypt and its great role in serving our people currently present on Egyptian territory.

Mustafa also expressed the Cabinet's appreciation for the efforts of various governmental and non-governmental field teams, including doctors, relief crews and volunteers, who are working on the ground in the Gaza Strip under difficult circumstances, and with the resources available.

In another context, the Council of Ministers praised the decision of the Federation of Health Professions Unions to return to work and cancel the previous reduction measures based on their appreciation of the difficult circumstances that our people are going through as a result of the ongoing war of the occupation and its settlers, and in response to the need of our people for health care services.

The Council of Ministers called on the various unions to take the initiative to cancel the procedures for reducing working hours, believing in the importance of everyone’s contribution to standing by our people, at a time when our people need everyone’s combined efforts to contribute to providing relief to our people, especially in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure readiness the moment the aggression stops.

On the occasion of the International Youth Day, which fell yesterday, Monday, the Council of Ministers stressed that the concerns and issues of young people have been exacerbated by the occupation and its measures, which have resulted in hundreds of thousands losing their jobs in the West Bank and Gaza, stressing the need for concerted efforts by everyone, led by state institutions, to launch operational and development initiatives for many productive sectors, just as the relevant ministries are currently working on, in addition to seeking to develop the education system and specializations in line with global developments in the labor market.

In a related context, the Minister of Local Government gave a presentation on the reality of local authorities and the difficult financial conditions they are going through, in addition to discussing proposals to enhance the roles of these authorities and their better governance. The Council tasked the Minister of Local Government with working with the authorities to be able to provide high-quality services to citizens in a strategic and balanced manner.


The Minister of Transport also presented the executive plan for the first and second phases to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance the role of various relevant parties in implementing the law, and to begin implementing the first phase of the plan.


For his part, the Minister of Tourism presented the Ministry’s plan to enhance the Palestinian presence in heritage sites threatened with confiscation, and the efforts of various government parties in coordination with international institutions to expose the occupation’s violations and pressure to provide protection for Palestinian heritage sites. The Council tasked the Ministry with coordinating with relevant parties to implement the plan.


The Council of Ministers appreciated the role of the Ministry of Culture in holding the seventh edition of the Palestine Forum for the Arab Novel in partnership with the General Union of Palestinian Writers and Authors and the Khalil Sakakini Center, which focused on promoting the Palestinian narrative and novel and raising its international presence.

The Cabinet also approved a number of administrative and procedural decisions, including those related to the recommendations of the Permanent Ministerial Committee for Institutional Reform, as well as the recommendations of the Technical Committee for the Management of State Property, and other decisions that will be published later on the Cabinet’s website.