Official calls Egypt for providing more facilities

Head of the Palestinian Contractors Union Osama Kahil called the Egyptian authorities for providing more facilities to the residents of the besieged Gaza Strip, saying that the Egyptian sides provided commodities to Gaza, while the amounts of commodities do not meet the aspirations to achieve expanding trade exchange.

He stressed the importance of Egypt’s role to ease the blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation against the Gaza Strip, saying that the recommendations of Ain Al Sokhna Conference have not been executed. He added that they agreed with the Egyptian officials to hold rotating meetings to discuss the ways of cooperation.

He added that the meetings have been delayed many times before by the Egyptian side, without giving the reasons, saying that there are specific authorities attempting to impede such meetings between the Egyptian government and Gaza’s officials aiming to ease the siege imposed on the people of the strip.

He added, in a statement to "Arabs Today", that the Gaza's imports from Egypt could reach to $ one billion calling the Egyptian authorities for increasing the days of Rafah Crossing opening to undermine the siege imposed on Gaza by the Israeli government.

He expressed his government's readiness to receive the Egyptian commodities and to establish a free trade zone between Egypt and the Palestinian territories if the Egyptian authorities decided to allow the commodities pass to the strip.

He revealed that Gaza's government allocated four thousand meters to receive the commodities coming from Egypt saying that the area would be automatically developed with the increase of trade exchange.

He blamed the Israeli occupation for preventing the entry of many commodities to the besieged strip, saying that the Israeli approach could suspend the work of many factories operating in Gaza.

He added that the Israeli occupation increased the number of commodities banned from entering the Gaza Strip, revealing that the number of banned goods reached to 500. He added that the Israeli government tightens its siege imposed on Gaza although it allows the passage of eight hundred trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing