Palestinian PM calls for unified government after Gaza ceasefire

Ramallah: Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has called for a unified Palestine under a single authority and government once a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

During a meeting with UN officials, consuls, and ambassadors in Ramallah, Mustafa emphasised the need for unity and cooperation, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

“The day after the war ends, Palestine must be unified under one authority and one government, working with partners as one team with one plan. There can be no undefined transitional period that would create more complexity and chaos,” the Prime Minister said on Wednesday, according to a statement from his office sent to Xinhua.

Mustafa urged international partners, donors, and UN institutions to closely coordinate with the Palestinian government to ensure swift recovery and address urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the conflict in Gaza and its repercussions in the West Bank.

He highlighted the Palestinian Authority’s longstanding responsibility for providing essential services such as healthcare, education, water, and electricity to Gaza residents despite Israeli deductions from Palestinian funds.

Delegations from Egypt, the US, Qatar, and Israel met on Wednesday in Qatar’s capital, Doha, to resume the Gaza truce talks.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his country’s commitment to a potential ceasefire agreement during a meeting with US President Joe Biden’s special envoy to the Middle East, Brett McGurk, in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu assured McGurk of his “commitment to the deal as long as Israeli red lines are maintained,” according to a statement from his office.

IANS