Gaza: Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa on Tuesday held separate meetings in Brussels with the European Union's Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Christophe Bigot, and Acting Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Christian Saunders, to discuss the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the meetings, attended by Minister of Finance and Planning Estefan Salameh, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Omar Awadallah, and Palestinian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union Amal Jadou Shakaa, focused on the humanitarian and political situation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Mustafa discussed Israel's continued closure of Gaza's crossings, shortages of humanitarian aid, restrictions on the entry of reconstruction, relief, and recovery supplies, as well as ongoing settler attacks, land confiscation, military raids, and the continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues in the occupied West Bank.
The Prime Minister stressed that UNRWA cannot be replaced and underscored the need to preserve its role in both the West Bank and Gaza, describing the agency as a cornerstone of the humanitarian response alongside Palestinian institutions, non-governmental organizations, and international agencies.
The participants agreed to build on the outcomes of recent meetings with international partners by continuing coordination on Gaza-related projects, expanding the European support mechanism, supporting preparations for Palestinian elections, and maintaining pressure on Israel regarding the transfer of Palestinian clearance revenues and restrictions imposed on Palestinians.