Ramallah - Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on
Saturday the Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations to bear
full responsibility and help reconstruct the destroyed infrastructure
in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
A 22-day Israeli air, sea and ground military offensive that ended
in January 18 had destroyed medical and educational facilities as
well as governmental buildings and thousands of houses, in addition
to the infrastructure.
Erekat, who met with UN Secretary General envoy Robert Serry, told
reporters that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip should go through
the UN and its developing program (UNDP).
He said there was 'no justification' that as yet there had been no
international consensus to press Israel to stop blocking the UN in
embarking on Gaza's reconstruction process.
At the end of the Israeli offensive, an international donors
conference held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, came up
with pledges of some 7 billion dollars to help rebuild Gaza.
'President Mahmoud Abbas' priority is to immediately start
reconstruction in Gaza,' said Erekat, calling on the UN not to
minimize its budget and urge the world to offer help to the
humanitarian organization to carry out its activities.
Asked about the resumption of peace talks with Israel, Erekat said
'it's time now to set up the mechanisms and the timetables and send
the teams of inspectors to implement the Middle East roadmap peace
plan.
'We want to see the roadmap, the Arab peace initiative and the
international resolutions to be implemented to end the Israeli
occupation and establish the Palestinian state on the territories
occupied in 1967,' said Erekat.
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