RAMALLAH, Feb 20 (MENA) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will present a plan to address challenges facing the Palestinian cause at the emergency Arab summit in Cairo slated for March 4.

"The plan aims to preserve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, ensure their resilience on their land, prevent their displacement, and rebuild what was destroyed by the occupation in Gaza and the West Bank. It ultimately seeks to implement international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," the Palestinian Presidency announced on Thursday.

The presidency emphasized that a key element of the Palestinian vision is empowering the State of Palestine and its legitimate government to fulfill its roles in Gaza, similar to its responsibilities in the West Bank. This is based on the unity of Palestinian land and governance while ensuring complete Israeli withdrawal from the region, it said.

It is essential for the Palestinian government to control all crossing points, including Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and to operate them in cooperation with Egypt and the European Union, in line with the 2005 agreement, according to the statement carried by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

In this context, the Palestinian government has mobilized its resources in Gaza to restore water and electricity services, assist displaced persons in returning home, provide shelter, open roads, reactivate health and educational services, and deliver humanitarian aid as part of an early recovery plan overseen by a governmental team, the statement read. The government has established a working committee for Gaza to facilitate the coordination of humanitarian, social, and health services, as well as provide temporary shelters, it said. This committee is led by a Palestinian government minister and includes qualified individuals from Gaza known for their integrity and expertise, it added.

In collaboration with Egypt and international organizations, like the World Bank, UN agencies, and the European Union, the Palestinian government has developed a recovery and reconstruction plan for the region, which will be submitted for approval at the Arab summit, the statement said.

"We are collaborating with Egypt and the United Nations to organize an international reconstruction conference as soon as possible, inviting countries and organizations to contribute effectively" and support the Partnership for Infrastructure Development (PID) Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for Gaza and the West Bank in partnership with the World Bank.

"We greatly appreciate the ongoing support for UNRWA, which provides essential services under a UN mandate," the presidency said.

The Palestinian president underscored the importance of continuing the reform and development program across various sectors to ensure the best services for the Palestinian people. This initiative has garnered widespread international support, with the government working alongside the World Bank and other organizations to apply best practices, the presidency said.

Abbas called for a comprehensive and long-term truce in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, contingent upon halting unilateral Israeli actions that violate international law and undermine the two-state solution. He also called for preserving the status of holy sites in Jerusalem. This approach aims to pave the way for a political resolution based on international legitimacy, the statement read.

He reiterated the importance of pursuing political and legal actions across various forums, emphasizing that implementing the two-state solution, leading to an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, is essential for regional security and stability, according to the statement. An international peace conference is scheduled in June, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, with preparations being made by a global coalition of over 90 countries to enhance international recognition and secure full UN membership for Palestine, it said.

President Abbas highlighted the importance of national unity through commitment to the Palestine Liberation Organization, the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. He stressed that democratic processes, including general elections across Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, are vital for reflecting the people's will. He called for suitable conditions to be established for elections to be held within a year.

Abbas expressed gratitude to the Arab nations for convening the summit and hoped for its success in achieving its objectives.(MENA)
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