Gaza: Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has issued directives for the organization of emergency response efforts to expedite the delivery of urgent assistance to specific areas. This initiative aims to reinforce and hasten the distribution of essential needs while ensuring equitable distribution of aid through coordinated efforts among various government bodies and international partners. This comes in the wake of increasing attacks by Israeli colonial settlers.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, during the weekly Cabinet meeting in Ramallah, there was a call to the international community for immediate action against escalating Israeli threats targeting Palestinian state institutions and leadership. Recent statements by Israeli 'Defense Minister' Israel Katz, which suggest an 'all-out war,' were highlighted as serious concerns. The Cabinet emphasized that these threats, coupled with ongoing colonial settlement expansion, illustrate a deliberate policy to destabilize the Palestinian political and legal infrastructure and force annexation, warning of the potential chaos the Israeli occupation government aims to instigate.
The Cabinet, referencing a statement from the Government Communication Center, expressed alarm over the rising terrorist acts by Israeli settler gangs in Palestinian regions, which are supported and sometimes joined by Israeli occupation forces. Over the past week, settler attacks have surpassed 395 incidents, leading to the deaths of seven Palestinians. Concurrently, demolition operations have been intensified by occupation forces, targeting over 42 Palestinian homes and structures in the West Bank.
The Cabinet reiterated its call for the international community and UN agencies to take decisive steps to ensure the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and secure essential living conditions. It pointed out the Israeli occupation's restrictions on international relief organizations' activities and the reduction of their assistance to vulnerable groups in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The Cabinet warned that any decrease in humanitarian support would exacerbate the dire conditions facing displaced populations, urging for increased aid. They also instructed relevant authorities to collaborate with international organizations to enhance their contributions and mobilize additional funding sources.
Efforts to clear rubble in the Gaza Strip were also discussed, with a focus on ensuring these operations are managed by Palestinians and overseen by trusted entities, to preserve evidence and assist in identifying over 10,000 missing individuals. The Cabinet supported UN warnings against Israeli attempts to destroy evidence of crimes and impede justice.
Additionally, the Cabinet reviewed the Ministry of Education and Higher Education's preparations to commence the academic year in the Gaza Strip for around half a million students across 700 educational sites.
In another development, the Cabinet approved the appointment of 1,476 teachers and administrators in schools throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem. They also sanctioned temporary operational contracts creating 121 jobs for waste removal, road and main street openings, sewage network maintenance, and other interventions to relieve Palestinian suffering in the Gaza Strip.
Moreover, the Cabinet designated the Ministries of Economy, Health, and Industry as the authorities responsible for monitoring compliance with technical instructions for cosmetics and milk products, aiming to protect consumers and enhance market oversight.