Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa Says Termination Of War Is Not Enough To End Suffering

JAKARTA - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said ending the war was a fundamental but not sufficient step, because it was a new phase of the restoration of the Gaza Strip.

Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, PM Mustafa said ending the war marked fundamental steps towards restoring normal life for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after two years of extraordinary suffering.

However, he stressed that this step was not the end of everything, but rather the beginning of a new phase, a phase that should lead to restoration of security, unification of national institutions in the West Bank and Gaza, and reviving hope for stability.

"The cessation of war alone is not enough to end this tragedy," said PM Mustafa, quoted from WAFA, October 15.

"Real guarantees for peace and security, as well as to prevent a repeat of what has happened, lie in empowering the Palestinian government to fully carry out its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, as part of its national obligations to our people everywhere," he explained.

PM Mustafa further emphasized that "Gaza's assistance, recovery and management are not political advantages, but deep national and humanitarian responsibilities, responsibilities that are carried out by the Government with full commitment."

He noted that the recall of the forced transfer scheme requires joint efforts with Arab and international partners to strengthen the determination of the Palestinian people and ensure they remain on their land. This, he said, could be achieved by supporting the Palestinian Government's recovery and reconstruction plan, which has won the consensus of Arab, Islamic and international, as reiterated by the recent New York Declaration.

"The challenge is huge, and the responsibility is great," he said.

"However, as President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized since the first day of genocide aggression, the end of this war with all the suffering, sacrifice, and pain it causes must lead to a political solution that realizes the Palestinian state in the field," explained PM Mustafa.

He explained that the implementation of recovery and reconstruction programs under difficult and complex conditions like this requires substantial support from Arabia and internationally, reaffirming any international role that must be supportive and complementary, not replacing the role of Palestine.