Cairo seeks to ease humanitarian burden on Palestinians: amb.

CAIRO – 1 November 2017: Egyptian Ambassador to Palestine Sami Murad said Wednesday that Cairo seeks to alleviate the humanitarian burden on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially for humanitarian cases and students.

In an interview with Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA), he praised Egypt’s efforts to restore Palestine to the normal situation in light of the joint efforts to end the division, stressing the necessity of supporting reconciliation in favor of the Palestinian national project.

Murad asserted that the participation of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the World Youth Forum (WYF) is also considered important, as “it provides more momentum to the next phase.”

He stated that Abbas’s participation in WYF, which will launch in Sharm el-Sheikh on November 4, came to assure that the Egyptian leaders are keen on enhancing the relationship between the two countries.

The world is looking at the Palestinian developments with great concern in light of the steps taken to achieve reconciliation and efforts to revive peace in the region, he added.
Murad asserted that “the Palestinian and Egyptian leaders don’t stop communication, consultation and coordination.”

The Palestinian Authority started officially receiving the administrative affairs of Gaza’s borders on Wednesday, in accordance with the terms of the reconciliation deal reached in Cairo last month.

Palestinian Minister for Public Works and Housing Mofeed Al-Hasayneh delivered a speech during a press conference at the Rafah border, the sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, announcing reception of the crossing.

In his speech, he announced the Palestinian Authority's decision to cancel all illegal fees at Gaza Strip crossings.

Hasayneh further thanked Egypt’s efforts, represented in the leadership and intelligence authorities in ending the decade-long political division in Palestine.

The Egyptian-sponsored delivery of the borders came as part of the reconciliation deal reached between both Palestinian political rivals last month in Cairo, which stipulated that the Palestinian government headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah fully assumes Gaza responsibilities.