RAMALLAH, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received on Sunday the Gaza relief, recovery, and emergency response plan presented by the Palestinian government to deal with the emergency situation in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire takes effect.
The Palestinian News Agency WAFA reported that Abbas received the plan during his meeting with Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
Mustafa said that the plan represents the first phase of the government's response, focusing on emergency measures for Gaza during the initial six months following the ceasefire.
He added that the plan would be implemented in coordination with international and UN bodies for support, especially with international relief organizations, in a bid to accelerate the entry and delivery of relief aid and the removal of the rubble from the main roads and vital facilities such as hospitals and schools.
He stressed the need to provide as many basic services as possible, including water, electricity, communications, sanitation, and temporary shelters, and to enable children to complete their education.
At 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT), the Israeli military ordered its units in Gaza to cease fire, marking the start of the truce brokered after about a year of mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. ■
