RAMALLAH, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa unveiled on Thursday a comprehensive plan for early recovery and long-term reconstruction in Gaza, outlining a five-year effort to rebuild the war-torn enclave.
Speaking at a meeting with international partners at the cabinet headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mustafa said the Palestinian government has established a unified framework for reconstruction through the Gaza Recovery and Reconstruction Implementation Program, based on the Arab Plan for Recovery, Reconstruction, and Development in Gaza adopted at the Extraordinary Arab Summit in Cairo in March.
International assessments estimated that damages and losses from the two-year war in Gaza have exceeded 67 billion U.S. dollars, Mustafa said.
"Therefore, the program sets a five-year timeframe of 67 billion dollars, encompassing 56 sub-programs in 18 sectors, including housing, social services, and infrastructure," he said.
According to Mustafa, the five-year program is divided into three phases: the first, a six-month emergency phase focusing on early recovery, valued at 3.5 billion dollars; the second, a three-year reconstruction and recovery phase, valued at approximately 30 billion dollars; and the third, the reconstruction phase.
The first phase includes rubble removal, restoration of infrastructure and essential services, transitional housing, cash assistance and job programs, support for small businesses and agriculture, reactivation of the banking system, and psychosocial and healthcare services.
Effective governance in Gaza is "a fundamental pillar of recovery and stability," the prime minister said. "Therefore, legitimate Palestinian institutions in Gaza will be reactivated in full accordance with national laws and the Palestinian Authority's public administration institutions."
The government will also strengthen political and territorial unity between Gaza and the West Bank, he said, reaffirming that security and effective governance in Gaza must be nationally owned and led, rooted in the Palestinian people.
Mustafa indicated that the Palestinian police and security forces will gradually operate in Gaza after the war. ■
