Comments to the media by Ms. Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, on the situation in the Middle East at the Security Council Media Stakeout.
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Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator (SHRC) for Gaza Sigrid Kaag today (2 July) told the Security Council that “while humanitarian assistance will be required for years to come, planning and preparing for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza is essential” and said Palestinians cannot be expected “to put their future on hold while they cling to their human dignity under the most inhumane circumstances.”

Briefing the Council on the implementation of resolution 2720, Kaag said, “while politics and conditions on the ground may dictate the pace and the nature of these efforts, preparations should not wait.”

The SHRC stressed that the Palestinian Authority “is integral to planning for the implementation of Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction and the international community must ensure the Palestinian Authority’s financial stability and support its reform, governance and other capacities needed to resume its responsibilities in Gaza.

She underlined that “the creation of a modern local economy across the Gaza strip should be a priority,” and said, “commercial activities need to grow, and the private sector needs to be revitalized.”

Resolution 2720, Kaag said, “has achieved intended and significant progress, but there is no substitute - as I mentioned - for political will.”

She said, “there is no substitute for the full respect of international humanitarian law, especially when it comes to the protection of civilians and the safe and enabling environment to secure effective distribution” and added that “although intentions and commitments may be convincing, the only credible measure of change and progress are the improvements in the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

Talking to reporters outside the Council, Kaag noted that there had been increase in the volume of commercial cargo entering Gaza, but that since the start of the Israeli military operation in Rafah and the subsequent closure of the Rafah Border Crossing in early May, the volume of aid entering and distributed across Gaza has dropped significantly.

She said, “the mechanism is operational, up and running. It enables the establishment of additional supply routes, Cyprus importantly Jordan, the Jordan corridor. It enabled also the opening, the temporary reopening of the port of Ashdod, the opening of Zikim and West Erez, which allowed for aid to go to the north, which has actually been very important in the recent period. Now the closure of the Rafah border crossing of course, so extremely important since the military invasion on Rafah by the Israelis, has undercut the ability to bring significant volume and sustain that.”

The SHRC function for Gaza was created by Security Council resolution 2720 in the context of the war between Israel and Hamas.