Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and the Korean Representative to Palestine, YoungSam Choi, attending the launch of the Palestinian-Korean Youth Center in Jenin. (WAFA Images / Maan Khalifa) 

JENIN, August 4, 2018 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah denied on Saturday that the government has imposed any sanctions on the besieged Gaza Strip, explaining that the measures taken that affected 35,000 Gaza employees, manly cut in salaries, were temporary and will not affect their rights.

Hamdallah was speaking at an event at the opening of the Palestinian-Korean Youth Center in the northern West Bank city of Jenin when he also said that the government has spent $96 million last month on the Gaza Strip.

The prime minister called on Hamas, the de facto authority in the Gaza Strip, to allow the conciliation government to carry out its duties and functions in the Gaza Strip and to return to the fold of the Palestinian Authority, which it has left following its armed takeover of Gaza in 2007.

He stressed that the unity would help the Palestinian leadership under President Mahmoud Abbas to deal with the challenges facing the Palestinian cause and the national project, particularly the so-called American-sponsored deal of the century.

Hamdallah thanked Korea for supporting Palestinian development and economy through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

“You are aware that major challenges are facing our national cause that is transforming the situation in our country into difficult and abnormal one and put the government in front of additional burdens to address the aspirations and needs of our people, especially its youth and children,” he said.

“Israel is proceeding in challenging the international community by legislating laws to prolong its occupation, expand its settlements, confiscate land and disregard Palestinian rights, the latest of which was the Israeli Nation-State law, in a new attempt to uproot the Palestinian existence and identity and to provide the land and its resources to the settlers, in addition to the extortion practiced by the US administration against UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) and against the rights of Palestinian refugees, which encourages Israel to entrench its colonial system.”

He stressed that what the youths and children of Palestine need today is “hope and stability, as well as a brighter future without occupation, checkpoints or settlements.”

He said he appreciated the support from KOICA for the Palestinian people, particularly its children and youth.

M.K.