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A senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is linked to giving full performance and authority to the Palestinian unity government formed in June.
Mohamed Mustafa, deputy premier of the Palestinian unity government and minister of national economy, told a news briefing earlier on Tuesday in Ramallah that his government has to fully take part in this process.
"The donor countries have concerns that the current situation won't enable the new unity government to bear its responsibilities on the ground," Mustafa said, calling on all parties to work together to help the government.
He also unveiled the unity government's rebuilding plan, which is based on three major parts -- the urgent relief of the Gaza Strip populations, the immediate start of reconstruction and the creation of a proper atmosphere for the reconstruction.
On Tuesday Egypt announced to host a donors' conference on Oct. 12 for financing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the latest conflict in enclave between Israel and Hamas-led militants. Earlier the United Nations and the Palestinian government called for international aids worth 550 million U.S. dollars to help hundreds of thousands of Gaza people.
The latest seven-week Israeli offensive on Gaza, which started on July 8, has left more than 2,100 Palestinians killed and 11,100 wounded, while Hamas attacks also killed at least 64 Israeli soldiers and five civilians.
Despite Mustafa's calling, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier said that there is a shadow government in the Gaza Strip, which is led by the Islamic Hamas movement and "disables the unity government to take its part and regularly act in Gaza."
The Palestinian unity government was formed in early June after a deal reached in April between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah Party. But spat between the two Palestinian factions has not been quieted, particularly after the unity government failed to pay salaries to thousands of former Hamas civil servants in the Gaza Strip. That has even prompted Hamas to consider forming a separate government, citing that Gaza has been ignored since the inception of the new Palestinian unity government.
