RAMALLAH, Tuesday, August 8, 2023 (WAFA) - Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh today received in his Ramallah office the new head of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Kerstin Gerling, in the presence of its former head, Alexander Tieman, and IMF Resident Representative Thomas Laursen, during which they discussed the impact of the Israeli occupation on the Palestinian economy.

"The Israeli occupation is the main obstacle to the development process in Palestine. Israel has employed many tools to control us, whether through direct military occupation of our lands, and control of the borders, crossings, the labor market, and infrastructure," said the Prime Minister.

"Israel is working to systematically destroy the two-state solution and perpetuate the colonial relationship imposed on us by the occupation," he added.

The Prime Minister stressed that the current Israeli government represents an ideological transition towards extremism, which poses a threat to stability in the region, especially in light of its escalating attempts to undermine the Palestinian Authority and increase the pace of settlements.

Shtayyeh said that despite the occupation's obstacles, his government is exerting every effort and moving forward in implementing the reform agenda at all levels, in addition to consolidating manufacturing and production and improving and developing the services provided to the people in order to enhance their resilience.

The Prime Minister appreciated the important periodic reports issued by the IMF, which shed light on the economic challenges posed by the occupation, calling for setting up a mechanism to follow up the recommendations, especially with the Israeli side, as well as calling for reviewing the status of Palestine in the IMF and supporting its membership.

M.K.