Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa stressed, during the opening of the weekly cabinet session held today, Tuesday, that what has been happening in the northern Gaza Strip in Jabalia for more than two weeks is a continuation of the crime of genocide in its most hideous forms and chapters, from displacement, starvation, and the demolition of residential areas over the heads of their residents, and the siege of hospitals and displaced persons’ gatherings and forcing them to flee towards the south by force.

The Prime Minister stressed that, under the President's directives, the government is continuing its efforts and international contacts to stop this unjust war against our people, renewing the call for the international community to take action to stop these heinous massacres, and implement the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which calls for ending the occupation and removing its effects, so that our people can enjoy freedom and independence, like the rest of the peoples of the world.

Mustafa announced that the government is preparing a draft of the first phase of the “National Development and Improvement Program” to be implemented over the next two years, 2025-2026, in order to give the national economy a push forward towards getting out of its crisis, and at the same time work on specific goals, the most important of which are: changing the existing imbalance in the economic relationship with Israel, increasing self-reliance, increasing growth rates, and reducing poverty and unemployment rates.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the programme contains two main parts: the first part of the programme consists of “cross-sectoral” development initiatives that aim to achieve specific outcomes within a specific timetable for their completion, and the second part of the programme is a programme to develop the legislative environment and institutional reforms necessary to enable us to achieve the aforementioned development initiatives and future investment programmes.

Mustafa added that the first part includes seven development initiatives, namely: renewable energy, localizing health services, digital transformation, social protection, developing local government bodies, food security, and education for development.

The Prime Minister continued: The second part of the program is the program for developing the legislative environment and the institutional reforms necessary to enable us to achieve the aforementioned development initiatives and future investment programs. This program includes four main axes: reviewing the development of financial policies and developing public finance management, strengthening the governance system and the rule of law, improving the legislative and regulatory environment for investment and business, and upgrading the performance of institutions providing public services, including water, electricity, health, education, and communications.

Mustafa stressed that the relevant ministries and institutions will soon hold extensive consultations with relevant parties from the private sector and civil society to contribute to completing the preparation of these programmes on the one hand, and preparing for their implementation on the other hand.

In another context, the Council of Ministers indicated that it assumed its responsibilities under exceptional and extremely difficult circumstances, in light of a catastrophic war on the Gaza Strip, a military escalation in the West Bank, high debt, and a severe financial crisis resulting from the large deductions made by the occupying state from Palestinian tax revenues (clearance), all of which, along with other factors, affected the performance of the national economy, including high rates of poverty and unemployment.

Despite the serious challenges, the Council of Ministers affirmed its continued tireless work, in cooperation with stakeholders and partners at the local, regional and international levels, to enhance relief efforts for our people in the Gaza Strip, and to provide as much resources as possible to ensure the continuation of services provided to our people, including education, health, social protection and others.

He continued, "The government has determined from day one that one of its priorities will be to achieve financial and economic stability, and it has taken some initial steps in this direction, but it is still working to achieve more, by recovering the tax money that Israel is withholding, and securing more international and Arab financial support."

The Cabinet stressed that there is an urgent need to take additional steps to revitalize the national economy, whose performance indicators have declined significantly, especially in light of the war waged by the occupation on Gaza, and its clear effects in all Palestinian governorates.

The Council of Ministers affirmed its determination and persistence in harnessing all capabilities and mobilizing more resources to serve our people, despite the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the occupation’s aggression on the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and its financial and economic siege through continued deductions from clearance funds.

The Council also took a number of administrative and procedural decisions that will be published later on the Cabinet’s website.