Ramallah – Prime Minister’s Office – Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Mohammed Mustafa, met with a delegation from the World Bank, headed by Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde, during which they discussed the importance of coordinating relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank with all partners to maximize the effective use of available resources.

Mustafa stressed the importance of the World Bank and international partners working in tandem with the Palestinian government, especially given the challenging circumstances caused by the continued illegal deductions from Palestinian clearance funds by the Israeli occupation, as well as the worsening economic conditions resulting from the occupation's relentless measures and aggression against the Palestinian people.

Mustafa pointed out that donor support is a fundamental and crucial component of the development program in Palestine, particularly budget support. However, this support has significantly decreased in recent years. The government is counting on the outcomes of the donor conference in Brussels later this month to mobilize financial, political, and relief support.

"Israel is using deductions from clearance revenues as a punishment against us and our people,” said the Prime Minister during the meeting, adding “we must work to review the clearance procedures and its terms, and to increase the volume of trade exchange with neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt."

Bjerde, on her part, affirmed the World Bank's continued support and partnership with Palestine, emphasizing that maximum effort will be exerted to surmount the challenging circumstances and work towards achieving stability and sustainability across all sectors.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wael Zagout, Minister of Finance Omar al-Bitar, and Minister of Local Government Sami Hajjawi from the Palestinian side. Representing the World Bank were Ousmane Dione, Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, and Stefan Emblad, Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza.