Mustafa: What Tubas is suffering is part of the occupation's plans to annex land and seize its resources

SadaNews - Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa confirmed that the government, under the directives of President Mahmoud Abbas, will continue its efforts to enhance the steadfastness of citizens on their land, addressing their needs and meeting them despite the difficult circumstances we are experiencing.

This came during his visit to the Tubas Governorate and the northern Jordan Valley today, Thursday, where he met with Governor Ahmad Al-As'ad, institutions, events, and local residents, in the presence of several ministers, to review the situation in Tubas amidst the fierce occupation assault it is suffering from.

The Prime Minister stated, "The area of Tubas is large and extends widely, and the ambitions of colonization and annexation are significant. What it is suffering today is not new, but part of the occupation's plans to annex additional areas of land and seize them and their resources, depriving our people of its capabilities and resources. However, with everyone's efforts, this will fail as the previous plans did."

Mustafa conveyed the President's greetings and appreciation to the citizens of the governorate and their steadfastness in the face of the occupation's plans, expressing hope that Tubas will always be at the forefront in defending itself and the entire homeland.

The Prime Minister listened to interventions from the Tubas Governor and representatives of various institutions and events in the governorate about what they are suffering due to the occupation's plans and the escalating attacks by settlers, alongside interventions from several ministers regarding the government's projects being implemented to develop infrastructure including roads, water, electricity services, and support for the agricultural sector, as well as developmental projects in the health and education sectors.

Regarding the agricultural sector, the Tubas Governorate and the northern Jordan Valley have witnessed the implementation of a series of agricultural and developmental interventions totaling approximately 37 million shekels since the current 19th government was tasked at the beginning of April 2024, benefiting more than 3,969 farmers in: Tamoun, Al-Faraa, Ain Al-Baida, Kardala, Al-Malih, Atouf, Bardala, Tayaseer, Al-Ras Al-Ahmar, Al-Aqaba, and the northern Jordan Valley, among others. The Ministry of Agriculture and its partners are working to develop their interventions and programs for the upcoming period.

In terms of infrastructure, alongside a series of urgent interventions by the Ministries of Local Government, Public Works, and various other governmental institutions, the Cabinet approved in its last session last week an emergency project to be implemented by the Ministry of Public Works to rehabilitate the main roads in the Al-Faraa camp to address the repercussions of the occupation's aggression and strengthen the steadfastness of citizens. Just a few days before this, the rehabilitation of the Al-Faraa roundabout area was completed, alongside other projects and allocations being worked on by the Ministry of Local Government and the Municipal Development Fund to rehabilitate the infrastructure in both Tamoun and Tubas.

Through the office of the Prime Minister’s advisor for Arab funds, a budget of $662,000 was allocated for the Tubas Municipality to implement projects for opening and paving internal roads in addition to rehabilitating and paving internal roads and rainwater drainage.

The Energy Authority is also working to implement a reduced agricultural electricity tariff to support farmers and reduce production costs. They have started to build a transmission line for electricity between Tubas and Nablus at an initial cost of $5 million as a first phase, to enhance supply reliability and facilitate the implementation of solar energy projects and grant licenses for stations with a total capacity of 80 megawatts, with a significant number of them already completed.

Additionally, 15 solar energy systems have been implemented for farmers to operate water pumps and reduce operational costs, covering the costs of deferred electricity charging for residents and employees through governmental offsetting with the Tubas Electricity Company worth 1 million shekels, covering the costs of charging electricity for the displaced with costs exceeding 700,000 shekels, and supporting farmers by covering electricity costs through offsetting worth 4 million shekels.

The Water Authority, through projects it has implemented in the Tubas Governorate in the fields of water and sewage, with a total value exceeding $100 million, has brought about a qualitative leap in the reality of water services in the governorate, and water service has become available daily and around the clock.

In the field of sewage, the Water Authority has established a sewage treatment plant in Tayaseer and constructed sewage networks in Tubas, Tayaseer, and Aqaba, and is currently working to secure the necessary funding to complete the service in the town of Tamoun.

In parallel, the Water Authority has implemented a series of interconnection projects between the water, agriculture, and energy sectors, the most prominent of which is the establishment of solar energy stations to provide the energy needed to operate the components of the water and sewage systems for the Tubas Water Facility; currently, a project for sewage connections is being implemented to increase the quantities of water reaching the treatment plant in Tayaseer, valued at 1 million euros, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD). A pump to operate the production well in the camp will also be provided.

Moreover, the authority is currently working with funding from the French Agency and the European Union to issue a tender for wind turbines to generate the necessary energy to operate the water and sewage system for the Tubas Water Facility, making it the first model project of its kind in this field.

In the health sector, the Ministry of Health prioritizes the Tubas Governorate considering it a targeted and isolated governorate. They are working to localize the workforce from within the governorate as much as possible, and there is a central emergency plan in cooperation with all partners to enhance the health system.

The ministry has also increased the capacity of the Turkish hospital for beds and energy, and other projects implemented worth 3 million shekels at the hospital. Other projects are under implementation, and there are projects under study that the Ministry of Health will work on worth 10.5 million shekels to develop the health system in the governorate; Tubas will also benefit from the hospital planned to be built in Arraba in Jenin which will serve Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas.

Regarding the education sector, the Ministry of Education is working to establish a comprehensive vocational school and expand vocational education programs in the governorate, organizing a supportive education program in the northern Jordan Valley, including all schools and kindergartens of job applicants from the Jordan Valley residents, providing buses to ensure students and teachers reach schools. The Education Directorate has been supplied with 230 computers for 12 schools, work is ongoing to connect all schools to the internet, and efforts are being made to establish 3 schools in Aqaba and Tubas and build classrooms in Tamoun schools.

The Prime Minister also met with the heads of the security institutions in the governorate in the presence of the governor and Minister of Interior Major General Ziad Hab Al-Rih, reviewing the security situation in the governorate amid the difficult circumstances it is experiencing due to escalating occupation attacks and settler terrorism.