The decisions made in the conference on reconstructing Gaza in Cairo remain completely under Israel’s control, Palestinian Minister Jamal Al-Kadri, who currently serves as the President of the Public Committee Against the Gaza Blockade, said.
Al-Kadri emphasised that Israel continues to hold the Gaza Strip under siege and this hinders any practical step that can be taken towards reconstruction.
In a press statement released yesterday, Al-Kadri said that although $5 billion were collected during the donor’s conference, the people of Gaza are still waiting for steps to be taken on the ground.
He called on the international community, as well as Egypt and Norway, the conference sponsors, to take definitive steps to end the blockade in Gaza as all of the materials, money and resources that they donated are now in the hands of the Israeli occupation, which controls the movement of goods in and out of Gaza.
He also urged the international community to finish what they started and to push for the beginning of reconstruction and to monitor the use and allocation of international funds.
Al-Kadri asked Egypt to allow the entry of construction materials via the Rafah border as it has done in the past, and urged the current government not to link this issue with other political disagreements.
The minister asked the Security Council to take practical steps against the blockade in Gaza and embark on reconstruction so that a sense of stability and calm can be achieved in the region. He stressed that the blockade imposed by Israel restricts the movements of Gazans and in turn creates an unstable environment.