Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirmed Monday that what has been happening in the Gaza Strip since October 7th last year is considered collective punishment, adding that the sector needs decades for its reconstruction if an agreement on a ceasefire is reached.
Addressing a dialogue session on the situation in Gaza on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Madbouly said “What happened on October 7th last year was a nightmare for humanity.”
He added, “The repercussions that came from Israel were unbearable, as all Palestinians in Gaza are paying the price for what happened on October 7th. It is not punishment for Hamas movement but for the entire Palestinian people.”
He pointed out that 2.5 million people were living in the Gaza Strip, their lives deteriorated and destroyed, explaining that so far more than 34,000 casualties and more than 77,000 injuries have occurred in addition to 7,000 still missing.
Madbouly explained that more than 74 percent of health facilities were destroyed, the education system was disrupted, and more than 70 percent of the infrastructure was destroyed. He added, “Even if we manage to reach a ceasefire agreement and start planning for the future of the sector, we need years for the sector to return to what it was before October 7th.
