Approved a series of decisions.. The Cabinet warns of the danger of Israeli plans in the West Bank and Jerusalem

SadaNews - The Cabinet warned of the danger of Israeli plans aimed at imposing new realities on the ground, the latest of which is a plan targeting control over approximately 100 strategic points within the areas classified as (A), in blatant violation of international law and signed agreements.

These plans add to the escalating crimes of settler militias, which, during the past week, included 29 attacks targeting 16 Palestinian villages in various governorates, involving the destruction of citizens' vehicles, vandalizing and burning properties, and establishing new colonial outposts. Additionally, announcements were made by the so-called "Israel Land Authority" about a plan to open bids for the construction of 3,401 settlement units in the area known as "E1" east of Jerusalem, marking a shift to the implementation stage of this plan, despite the severe consequences it will have on the Palestinian geography if carried out.

In a related context, the Cabinet welcomed, in its weekly session today, the increasing international positions calling for an end to the crimes of the occupation and its settlers, including calls for the release of withheld Palestinian clearance funds, and UN reports emphasizing the need for effective international pressure to stop the aggression on the Gaza Strip, expedite relief and recovery operations, and ensure the provision of basic needs for our people in the sector, including food, medicine, and essential services.

The Cabinet also reiterated that the financial siege imposed on the Palestinian government, foremost of which is the continued detention of clearance funds, exacerbates the humanitarian and economic crisis and directly affects various vital sectors, especially the health sector, where tens of thousands of families, particularly children and the elderly, are deprived of necessary treatment, alongside the disruption of thousands of surgeries and basic health services. This necessitates urgent international action to end this siege and ensure that government institutions can fulfill their duties towards citizens.

Furthermore, the Cabinet adopted the national plan to enhance the resilience of the Palestinian electrical system, aiming to improve the efficiency and reliability of the electrical network by creating additional transmission lines between various locations and enhancing energy storage capacities. This serves as a temporary response to current challenges, foremost among which are the restrictions imposed by the occupation.

The plan includes developing the national electricity transmission network and connecting substations with transmission lines and electrical networks, thereby enhancing the resilience of the electrical system and increasing its ability to absorb and store energy, especially in light of the rapid expansion in electricity production from local and renewable energy sources.

The plan also includes an executive package comprising 11 projects for transmission lines distributed across the north and south of the West Bank, with a total length of approximately 105 kilometers and an estimated investment cost of about 21.5 million dollars, in addition to deploying systems for storing electrical energy at strategic locations linked to substations and proposed transmission corridors with a capacity of 80 megawatts/hour, enabling the absorption of surplus production during low-demand periods and reintroducing it during peak times, which contributes to reducing loss and supporting the integration of renewable energy sources within the national grid.

Additionally, the Cabinet adopted the sectoral recommendations of the national team regarding strategies to combat the flooding of the local market, which involve applying mandatory technical specifications to imported goods and increasing the market share of national products in public tenders.

In another context, the Cabinet approved the establishment of the National Council for Digital Transformation and Future Technology as the highest Palestinian national umbrella for coordinating and leading national efforts related to digital transformation, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and digital competitiveness, which have been worked on for the past two years to propel the digital transformation and the national digital economy forward.

The council primarily worked on identifying national priorities in this sector to ensure that it keeps pace with associated developments. The expected outcomes from establishing the council include doubling job opportunities in digital fields, alongside supporting and attracting tech and international companies in this domain, developing Palestinian digital products for export, in addition to accelerating the completion of digitizing the bulk of priority government services, as well as other specified outcomes in the establishment plan.

The council also discussed, in the second reading, a draft law on the partnership between the private and public sectors and reviewed various comments received on the draft law from both government and civil society institutions, as well as the private sector, with the intention to complete consultations on it in preparation for presenting it to the Cabinet for a third reading for approval.

Prime Minister Dr. Muhammad Mustafa considered the Cabinet's approval of the national plan to enhance the resilience of the Palestinian electrical system and its associated programs for developing the energy sector, and the consenting to establish the National Council for Digital Transformation and Future Technology, alongside the near completion of the draft law on partnership between the public and private sectors, all represent the true beginning of a national roadmap for rebuilding the Palestinian economy, adding to initiatives and programs that are being completed within the national development and progress program.

Among other issues included in the Cabinet's agenda was the approval of stabilizing the indebtedness of 27 local authorities in the water and electricity sectors, as part of a comprehensive governmental plan to complete settlements with local authorities, which contributes to defining commitments on various parties, enhancing governance measures, and assisting these authorities in developing their capacities and resources, with the number of authorities with completed settlements reaching 162.

Furthermore, the Cabinet adopted a memorandum of understanding for cultural cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Palestine, and approved the extension of free health insurance for Gaza patients and their companions residing in the northern governorates.