Palestinian PM to push for Gaza reconstruction

The Palestinian prime minister is to visit Gaza to try to speed up reconstruction of the enclave devastated by last summer's Israeli war.

Palestinian Authority spokesman Ihab Bseiso said that West Bank-based Rami al-Hamadallah would travel to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

"A delegation comprising cabinet ministers and officials of the consensus government will visit Gaza next Wednesday to discuss the mechanisms of conflict resolution and outstanding issues in the Strip, in particular the reconstruction file," said Bseiso.

"Hamadallah and his government delegation will meet all Palestinian political factions and groups and independent social personalities.

"The major goal of Hamadallah visit is to push forward the process of reconstruction ... and work to open the crossings of the Gaza Strip.

Hamadallah met the Swiss ambassador Paul Granier on Monday to push western and Arab countries to honour their reconstruction pledges to Gaza and accelerate the reconstruction process.

Many billions of dollars have been pledged but very little of that has been received in Gaza, which is controlled by the Hamas group.

The Israeli blockade has exacerbated the deadlock, as much of the building materials being sent to Gaza are held up at Israeli-controlled checkpoints.

said last month less than one percent of the building work needed to bring Gaza back to pre-war levels had been carried out.

This is an edited translation of the original Arabic.