Cairo: In the presence of Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, Dr Badr Abdel Atti, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration, hosted a meeting with foreign ambassadors and representatives of international organisations regarding the rehabilitation of the health sector in the Gaza Strip. This took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigration and Affairs of Egyptians Abroad, where a visual presentation was made on the plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, attended by more than one hundred ambassadors and representatives of international organisations.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Minister Abdel Atti reviewed the comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that Egypt has developed in coordination with the Palestinian government, pointing out the essential requirements for the success of the plan. These include establishing a ceasefire in Gaza, managing the early recovery phase and reconstruction in a manner that ensures Palestinian ownership, and addressing the situation in the Strip as an integral part of Palestinian territories. He also mentioned empowering the authority to return to Gaza to assume its responsibilities by establishing an independent and non-factional committee to manage the affairs of the Strip for a transitional period under the umbrella of the Palestinian government. Additionally, he noted that Egypt and Jordan have begun training elements of the Palestinian police in preparation for their deployment in Gaza.
The Foreign Minister emphasised that the Gaza reconstruction plan has received broad regional and international support, and that Egypt is currently working to organise a conference for the reconstruction of Gaza in Cairo to secure the necessary funding for the implementation of the plan. Dr Abdel Atti indicated that there is a proposal for the Security Council to consider establishing an international presence in the Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank, including through adopting a resolution for the Council to deploy peacekeeping forces or international protection with clear mandates and responsibilities, within a framework and timeline that ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
For his part, Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, presented a comprehensive visual display on the rehabilitation of the health sector in Gaza. He highlighted Egypt’s emergency health response and the health services provided to more than 107,000 Palestinian citizens who crossed into Egypt since the beginning of the war, which exceeded costs of $570 million. He pointed out the current deteriorating health situation in Gaza, amid a shortage of medical supplies and the fact that more than 70% of healthcare facilities in the Strip are out of service. He also discussed the details of the Egyptian proposal to rebuild and strengthen the health sector in the area, to enhance its efficiency and respond to the basic health needs in the Strip, presenting the expected costs for the proposed projects in this regard.