RAMALLAH, October 20, 2026 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Cabinet warned on Tuesday of the grave humanitarian consequences of decisions by several international relief organizations to reduce or suspend their programmes. The latest was the World Food Programme’s announcement that it would suspend assistance to about 500,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip due to a “funding shortages.” This threatens the continuity of the relief system and could further exacerbate the suffering of poverty-stricken families, widows, orphans, older persons, and persons with disabilities, while increasing the risk of malnutrition among children and pregnant women.
In this regard, the Minister of Social Development met with World Food Programme Acting Executive Director Carl Skau and briefed him on the risks that suspending assistance poses to families in need, as well as joint efforts to mobilize sufficient funding to meet the needs of our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Cabinet, in a statement issued by the Government Communication Center, renewed its call on the United Nations and donor countries to provide the necessary funding to ensure the continuation of assistance and intensify pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to open border crossings and ensure the unhindered flow of humanitarian supplies. It also appealed to Arab and Islamic countries and the international community to provide urgent financial and relief assistance to alleviate the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip.
It also received a briefing from the Minister of Public Works and Housing on the Government’s and its partners’ efforts to provide shelter and remove debris in the Gaza Strip. These efforts include completing the preparation of 23 shelters for displaced people, providing approximately 700 reinforced-plastic tents distributed to farmers, and rehabilitating around 800 partially damaged housing units to enable families to return to their homes. Work is also underway to repair approximately 1,000 additional housing units in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In this context, the Cabinet commended the efforts of government teams working on the ground in Gaza and renewed its call on all relevant parties to facilitate their work in serving the Palestinian people and alleviating their suffering.
On a related note, the Cabinet warned of escalating attacks and thefts by Israeli occupation forces and settlers during the olive harvest season, targeting Palestinians, international solidarity activists, and diplomatic missions. More than 350 terrorist attacks have been recorded since the start of the olive harvest season, as part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinians, their land, and their property.
In this regard, the Cabinet received a briefing from the Minister of Agriculture, who reported that approximately 50% of the olive harvest has been completed, despite ongoing attacks and obstacles. Meanwhile, the national olive-harvesting campaign continues across various locations, in partnership with civil society, security institutions, community organizations, and international solidarity activists.
The Cabinet also directed the relevant authorities to strengthen oversight of the olive oil market and hold accountable anyone who endangers public health. It commended the efforts of inspection and security teams working on the ground to monitor markets, protect citizens, and safeguard public health and safety.
On the financial front, with the Israeli occupation continuing to withhold all Palestinian clearance revenues for more than a year and a half—revenues that account for 68% of total public revenues—the Minister of Finance briefed the Cabinet on ongoing efforts to secure a salary payment for public employees next week. The Ministry of Finance will issue a statement on the matter once the necessary financial and technical arrangements have been finalized.
In addition, the Cabinet adopted the recommendations of the committee tasked with reviewing the demands of the General Union of Transport and the challenges facing the sector, in light of the briefing presented by the Minister of Transport. The Cabinet directed the relevant authorities to expedite the implementation of the necessary measures to reduce operating costs and ease the financial burdens on the public transport sector and citizens.
In a separate development, the Cabinet adopted the recommendations of the national team tasked with preparing a directory of populated areas, with a view to completing the review and development of criteria for classifying urban and rural localities, as well as finalizing a unified national framework for names, codes, and geographical boundaries. These efforts aim to safeguard Palestinian place names and geographical areas.
The Cabinet also discussed, at first reading, a draft amendment to the regulation on investment incentives for the use of renewable energy technologies. The proposed amendment seeks to increase reliance on clean energy, with the goal of reaching a 30% share by 2030, in line with the Government’s plan and the Energy Security Initiative.
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