UN official Mickolay Mladenov (left) meeting with Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah. (Photo courtesy of the Prime Minister‘s office.)

RAMALLAH, October 16, 2017 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah discussed intra-Palestinian reconciliation during a meeting at his Ramallah office on Monday with United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov.

Hamdallah told Mladenov that his government is working on implementing the agreement on the ground, stressing that the reconciliation will boost government efforts to meet the demands of the Palestinian people in Gaza, particularly in the water and electricity sectors.

Mladenov, on his part, said in a statement, “The agreement provides for the return of the crossings of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority by 1 November. The timely and effective implementation of this provision and concrete steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis will be critical for effectively empowering the Palestinian Government in Gaza.”

He added: “The agreement is also an important step towards achieving the goal of Palestinian unity under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian national authority,” promising that the “United Nations will continue working with the Palestinian leadership, Egypt and the region in support of this process, which is critical for reaching a negotiated two-state solution and sustainable peace.”

M.K.