GAZA RECONSTRUCTION NEED MORE THAN US$6 BILLION

Al Wafa Hospital destroyed by Israel in Shejaiya, East of Gaza City. (Photo: mirajnews.com) — **Al Wafa Hospital destroyed by Israel in Shejaiya, East of Gaza City.** (Photo: mirajnews.com)

Gaza, 12 Dzulqa’dah 1435/7 September 2014 (MINA) – Dr. Mufeed Al Husainah, Minister of Public Works and Housing of the Palestinian Authority said that according to calculations of his ministry, it need more than six billion dollars to reconstruct the Gaza Strip.

“We have not completed the calculations yet. We work together with UNDP and UNRWA in calculating the estimate,” Al Husainah told mirajnews.com in his office, Thursday (4 september 2014).

Al Husainah said that reconstruction in Gaza would take long time. It was because Israel still closed border crossings between Gaza and Israeli occupation.

“If Israeli occupation regime opens the borders and provide 24 hours of each day to supply materials to Gaza, it will not take long time for the reconstruction,” he said.

He added, Gaza had five border crossings with Israel. Israel have to open all of them. If they only open Abu Salim Karim border it will cause problems. Gaza requires 1500 containers every day to supply food and materials for reconstruction of Gaza.

He also called on the international community to pressure Israeli occupation regime to open border crossings immediately.
“We buy the materials for reconstruction with our money instead of the money of Israel. We have already paid for cement but it has not entered Gaza yet,” he explained.

Al Husainah also expect the international community to be present at conference of donor countries. It will be held in Cairo, Egypt on October 10. The conference will discuss about assistance to the Palestinian Authority for reconstructing Gaza.

Al Husainah also invites President of the Republic of Indonesia to see the damages caused by the Israeli military aggression directly. (T/K01/P009/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)