RAMALLAH/GAZA/AMMAN - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said on Tuesday that his government has shared the executive program of the Gaza recovery and reconstruction plan with foreign governments and international organizations.
In a statement after a weekly cabinet meeting, Mustafa said the program sets out a strategic vision for rebuilding the war-torn Gaza Strip and outlines recovery priorities.
He said the government and its international partners were ready to begin implementation as soon as conditions on the ground allow, given the current humanitarian and security challenges.
Mustafa said coordination was underway with UN agencies, donor countries, and international organizations to ensure recovery efforts in Gaza are carried out "in a coordinated and integrated manner."
He urged the United Nations and relief agencies to act quickly to help thousands of displaced families facing worsening conditions as winter approaches, warning that many living in low-lying areas could face flooding and other risks without immediate assistance.
The prime minister called for urgent measures to provide safe shelters and necessities to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
According to the government, the plan builds on the Arab Plan for Recovery, Reconstruction and Development in Gaza, endorsed at an Arab summit in Cairo in 2015. It outlines a five-year framework worth about $67 billion, covering 56 programs across 18 sectors, including housing, infrastructure, and the economy.
Israeli hostage's body
Separately, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said Tuesday it has handed over the body of an Israeli hostage found in Gaza earlier in the day to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The handover was arranged as part of the ceasefire deal, according to a Hamas source.
Eyewitnesses in Gaza said the ICRC has received the body and is delivering it to the Israeli side.
The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that the body has been received by the ICRC and is "on the way to IDF troops" in Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Al-Qassam Brigades said in a press statement that the body was found in the Shujaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City during field operations.
In a statement, al-Qassam said its members discovered the body "during ongoing excavation and search operations inside the yellow zone" in eastern Shejaiya, and that arrangements were underway to transfer it to Israel.
The group said the entry of engineering equipment and the presence of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) teams, escorted by al-Qassam members, had "significantly contributed to the rapid recovery of the bodies."
Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Oct 10, Hamas has released 20 living Israeli captives and handed over 20 bodies, while Israel has released 250 Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences and 1,718 prisoners arrested in Gaza after Oct 7, 2023.
Under the ceasefire deal, the first phase of the truce in Gaza includes partial Israeli troop withdrawals, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, and a significant increase in aid deliveries to the enclave.
Strike amid ceasefire
Israeli forces carried out airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday despite a fragile ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, saying they targeted a militant who approached troops in the northern part of the enclave.
The military said the individual had crossed the "Yellow Line," a demarcation marking areas where Israeli forces remain deployed.
"Shortly after identification, the terrorist was eliminated to remove the threat," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. It added that troops under the Southern Command "remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to act against any immediate threat."
Jordanian, British diplomats meet on Gaza
Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met here on Tuesday with visiting British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, during which they discussed the Gaza ceasefire and bilateral cooperation.
The two sides emphasized the full implementation and maintenance of the Gaza ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid, while exploring a clear political path toward a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, read a statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.
Cooper praised Jordan's key role in coordinating aid to Gaza through the Jordanian humanitarian corridor, read the statement.
For his part, Safadi urged an end to Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and its attempts to alter the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem. He also condemned Israeli attacks on Syria, saying they fuel regional instability, the statement added.
Both sides affirmed the strong bilateral friendship, and agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors and maintain close coordination on regional issues, including supporting Syria's reconstruction and stability, read the statement.
