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National Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza 2014-2017_FINAL...

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6<br />

The <strong>National</strong> <strong>Early</strong> <strong>Recovery</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Reconstruction</strong> <strong>Plan</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Gaza</strong> <strong>2014</strong><br />

State of Palestine<br />

FOREWORD<br />

<strong>Gaza</strong> is once more in crisis. Seven weeks of bombardment <strong>and</strong> ground incursions have left thous<strong>and</strong>s dead <strong>and</strong> injured <strong>and</strong> half a<br />

million people displaced. The physical destruction is vast in scale. Yet it is the human loss that is truly incomprehensible <strong>and</strong> from<br />

which will be the hardest to recover.<br />

Palestinians living in <strong>Gaza</strong> have suffered too long <strong>and</strong> too much. They deserve a future that is free from restriction, confinement,<br />

<strong>and</strong> destruction. With their resilience, ingenuity, <strong>and</strong> determination, our people in <strong>Gaza</strong> are more than capable of making the<br />

coastal region of Palestine flourish <strong>and</strong> prosper.<br />

Full recovery from years of conflict <strong>and</strong> devastation can happen only if <strong>Gaza</strong> is once more connected with the West Bank,<br />

including East Jerusalem, <strong>and</strong> all parts of Palestine are once more open to the world. Free movement of people <strong>and</strong> goods will<br />

catalyze <strong>Gaza</strong>, catapulting it from its current crisis into socio-economic sustainability. Freedom of access must be guaranteed.<br />

The borders must be opened. Trade must flow. People must travel.<br />

The past months have been some of the grimmest in Palestinian history. And, yet, it was not a new experience. Since the Nakba<br />

in 1948 until now, Palestinians have been <strong>for</strong>ced through too many dark days. Israeli military action is constant, with massive<br />

assaults in tragic repetition: in <strong>Gaza</strong>, six-year old children have already lived through three major assaults that have robbed them<br />

of friends, family, <strong>and</strong> their childhood innocence.<br />

But our Palestinian people will continue to move <strong>for</strong>ward towards their dream of an independent, prosperous, <strong>and</strong> peaceful<br />

state, with East Jerusalem as their capital. When <strong>Gaza</strong> last faced such destruction in 2009, Palestinian unity was still a distant<br />

dream. Now, our people have achieved that unity, brought together by the <strong>National</strong> Consensus Government, <strong>for</strong>med just<br />

weeks be<strong>for</strong>e the assault on <strong>Gaza</strong> began. Our Government will exert all ef<strong>for</strong>ts to recover, repair, <strong>and</strong> rebuild <strong>Gaza</strong> as an<br />

integral region of Palestine.<br />

We extend our h<strong>and</strong> to the international community, to our partners in peace <strong>and</strong> our friends in times of need. We challenge the<br />

world to be ambitious <strong>and</strong> daring in helping us realize our dream of prosperity <strong>and</strong> justice in an independent state, free of military<br />

occupation. An immediate measure is to end the blockade on <strong>Gaza</strong> <strong>and</strong> ensure our people never again experience the horrors of<br />

this summer.<br />

A brighter future is on the horizon. Give Palestinians in <strong>Gaza</strong> the tools, the opportunities, <strong>and</strong> the freedom to secure that future -<br />

here <strong>and</strong> now.<br />

Rami Hamdallah<br />

Prime Minister

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