The government is examining the burdens of public transportation and setting the start date for winter time

For immediate publication

10-13-2026

Cabinet session (131)

The Council of Ministers approves an increase in the quantities of medicines purchased to treat diabetes, osteoporosis and other diseases

He called for more serious international action to stop the crimes of the occupation, settler terrorism, and raids on cities, villages, and camps.

He appreciated the warning of 100 international relief organizations about the worsening hunger and the almost complete collapse of the health system in the Gaza Strip.

He directed a study of the demands of the Public Transport Syndicate regarding the burdens facing the sector

Expanding digital government services from 25 to about 300 electronic services as part of the process of enhancing digitization

Winter time begins at dawn on Saturday, October 24, 2026

Ramallah - Government Communication Center: Prime Minister Dr. Muhammad Mustafa, today, Tuesday, the weekly Council of Ministers session, presenting the members of the Council in the picture of the political movements and efforts made to strengthen the international movement in support of the rights and issues of our people, in light of the continuing aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the escalation of settler crimes and their attacks on citizens, olive pickers and foreign activists, and the expanding scope of storming cities, villages and camps, and targeting national institutions that support the rights of our people.

719 terrorist attacks were documented against citizens and their property during the period from October 4 to 10, which included burning vehicles, property, and lands, attacking olive pickers and expelling them from their lands, assaulting and detaining citizens, and stealing crops, in addition to establishing new colonial outposts, and demolishing 27 Palestinian facilities, according to data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

In addition, the Council of Ministers warned of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, with the war of extermination entering its fourth year, and one year after the ceasefire agreement, in light of the Israeli war machine continuing to claim the lives of civilians, disrupting the transition to the second phase of the agreement, and the severe shortage of shelter supplies, coinciding with the approaching winter and the risks and humanitarian suffering that accompanies it, especially since two million Palestinian citizens in the Strip are facing a fourth winter without adequate protection from rain, floods, and cold.

In a related context, the Council appreciated the statement issued by 100 international organizations concerned with relief and human rights, in which it described the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as merely “ink on paper” in light of the continuing daily killings, and its assertion that about 1.4 million people suffer from acute and critical levels of hunger, in light of the almost complete collapse of the health system.

In a related context, the Council heard a briefing from the Minister of Women’s Affairs on the reality of Palestinian women three years after the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, and the efforts made internationally, on more than one level, to expose the crimes of the occupation, and to institutionalize efforts to monitor these crimes and cases of violence through the National Observatory, which provides a reference for various civil and international institutions to benefit from regular reports and approved cases of documentation. The observatory, along with ongoing documentation, contributes to the process of directing response and interventions for the groups most in need of support.

Data documented by the Ministry shows that 38,000 women were martyred during the past three years of war, while one in every 21 women lost their lives or became disabled, and 22,000 women lost their husbands during the same period.

In addition, the Council of Ministers approved an increase in the quantities of medicines purchased to treat diabetes and osteoporosis, in addition to medicines to treat other diseases.

The Council also directed the competent authorities to study the demands submitted by the Transport Workers Union regarding the burdens faced by the public transport sector in light of the current circumstances, and the service it provides to citizens.

In another context, the Council discussed the expansion of the digitization of government services, as the number of digital services increased from 25 services to about 300 services, thus enhancing citizens’ ease of access to them. This included the consular work platform, which now provides 96 services to Palestinian expatriates.

The Council also renewed its reminder of the decision to start operating winter time starting at dawn on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

In another context, the Council of Ministers approved a number of memorandums of understanding and agreements, including a memorandum of understanding between the Palestinian National School of Administration and the National Government School in the Republic of South Africa, and a memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the State of Palestine to implement the “School in a Box” project, in addition to an agreement between the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Population Fund, with the aim of strengthening the demographic and statistical capabilities of the agency.