The Prime Minister stresses the importance of integrating governmental and civil efforts to enhance national and societal resilience

Ramallah - Ofoq News - Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa stressed that confronting the exceptional challenges that our Palestinian people are going through, in light of the escalation of attacks by the Israeli occupation and its colonialists, and the continuous targeting of citizens and the land, requires strengthening national and societal steadfastness, unifying energies and integrating national roles, in a way that preserves the cohesion of society and the ability of citizens to survive and withstand.

This came during his participation in a consultative session to strengthen and unify governmental and civil efforts to consolidate the national and societal steadfastness of our people, which was organized today, Wednesday, in cooperation with the Department of Social Affairs of the Palestine Liberation Organization, in the presence of members of the Executive Committee and ministers, and with the participation of more than 35 governmental and civil institutions, and representatives of the private sector and relevant bodies and bodies.

This session comes within the framework of national efforts aimed at moving from dispersed responses to crises to an integrated national approach to resilience, which combines the protection of citizens and the land, enhancing social protection, continuity of basic services, supporting the economy and local production, and enhancing the ability of local institutions and communities to confront crises and recover, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Mustafa pointed out that societal steadfastness represents one of the essential elements in the next stage, but it must be part of a broader national vision that includes continuing to build the state and its institutions and enhancing its ability to serve citizens, stressing that strengthening society, social protection, building institutions and the national economy are integrated paths to achieving the national goal of freedom, independence, and living in dignity.

The Prime Minister said that the current challenges revealed weaknesses in the social protection system, some of whose components were built over the past years, stressing the need to reconsider it comprehensively. He added: “We need a solid, cohesive and integrated social protection system that protects society,” stressing that what is required is not a partial reform of some components, but rather the development of a general framework, policies and new tools capable of responding to the needs of the next stage.

Mustafa stressed the necessity of strengthening the components of the national economy, relying on local capabilities and production, and investing in human resources, education, and digital transformation, in a way that enhances society’s ability to withstand and prepare it for rapid changes, noting that building a stronger society requires developing the various elements of the national system, and not being limited to responding to emergency circumstances.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, the Prime Minister stressed, saying: “We do not want to lose Gaza,” stressing that the Strip is facing an extremely difficult situation, and that strengthening the steadfastness of its people requires special national attention, continuing to provide services and possible support, which has never stopped, and working on its recovery and reconstruction within a unified national vision.

He said that the Gaza Strip is an essential part of the homeland, and that preserving it and restoring its health is a national responsibility, stressing the need to unify efforts and coordinate between the various parties, leading to the institutional and service reintegration of the sector within the unified Palestinian national framework.

He stressed that what our people lost during the last stage, in Gaza and the West Bank, should not be a reason for despair, but rather an incentive to rebuild on what was achieved and build systems more capable of resilience.

For his part, member of the Executive Committee of the Liberation Organization, Secretary-General of the People’s Party, Bassam Al-Salhi, said that the discussion is heading towards “how we can rely on our internal structure to restore and build a state of steadfastness in the Palestinian economy,” in a way that enhances the ability of society and the national economy to face challenges and continue working and producing.

In turn, Minister of Social Development, Samah Hamad, stressed that “the main goal in these difficult times is to emphasize that resilience is no longer just a temporary response to crises, but rather an organized national capacity that protects people and land, ensures the continuity of institutions and services, supports the economy and society, and links the response to recovery and construction.”

In this context, the Prime Minister’s Advisor for International Relations, Izzat Abdel Hadi, called for among the outcomes of the consultative session to be “a discussion or establishment of a concept about national resilience and its requirements, and how to basically translate this concept into implementable policies and programmes,” allowing the building of a shared national vision for resilience and societal protection.

These consultations aim to strengthen collective interventions at this sensitive stage, enhance joint coordination and define priorities, policies and responsibilities, and transform the national dialogue on resilience into an implementable framework that enhances the protection of society and land, strengthens social, economic and institutional protection, and supports recovery in the Gaza Strip.