The Hamas premier in Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh said the coastal territory has experienced a “renaissance” in construction and reconstruction projects.
Haniyeh said in a speech during the celebration of laying the foundation stone of a government hospital in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Strip: “We turned forever the page of lawlessness and we will not allow its return.”
Haniyeh pointed out that internal security in the Gaza Strip allowed to protect development projects. According to him, “the coming stage will witness a renaissance in a wide range of reconstruction and development projects”.
Haniyeh confirmed his government got "a formal commitment" especially from the State of Qatar, to reconstruct what was destroyed by the Israeli army in Gaza, Haniyeh said: "It was agreed between the Emir of Qatar and the Egyptian leadership that the reconstruction of Gaza will begin as soon as possible." He added: "We have received from the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank US $ 137 million will be spent to pave roads, sanitation projects and the establishment of schools."
Haniyeh made clear that international institutions, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was not ready to supervise projects in the Gaza Strip if the building materials are coming through the tunnels scattered along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. He explained: "But when the international institutions found that the people of Gaza were able to begin reconstruction projects with materials that come through the tunnels, they told us that they are ready to work with us even if the materials come through tunnels."
According to Haniyeh, works in the construction sector, which has been paralyzed for nearly four years, is employing today about 13 thousand workers in the Gaza Strip. He said his government paid million dollars collected in taxes on cigarettes and fuel smuggled from Egypt to carry out multiple projects in infrastructure in Gaza and "I call for the next government to continue these projects." Source: yallafinance.com.
