Palestinian PM meets World Bank delegation to discuss Gaza reconstruction amid calls for resignation of 'incompetent' PA government

Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with a leading World Bank official this weekend to discuss Gaza reconstruction.

Shtayyeh met on Sunday with a World Bank delegation, led by Ferid Belhaj, the organisation’s vice president for the Middle East and North Africa in Ramallah, where they discussed financial support to rebuild the besieged Gaza Strip after another round of intense Israeli bombardment.

He said this would be carried out through three stages - first the provision of humanitarian relief in Gaza, then the reconstruction efforts, followed by efforts to revitalise the strip's economy and create job opportunities, according to the Palestinian Authority’s news agency Wafa.

Shtayyeh discussed the possibility of increasing aid and briefed the delegation on the strategic plans recently launched by the PA to attain sustainable development.

Last week, around 3,000 Palestinians signed a petition calling for Mahmoud Abbas to resign from his triple position as head of the Fatah movement, head of the PLO and PA chairman and for a new democratically-elected government.

The petition slammed Abbas' government for being out of touch with the struggles of the Palestinian people and for ailing to visit the besieged Gaza Strip after Israel launched an 11-day relentless bombardment campaign of the impoverished enclave last month, killing over 250 Palestinians, including 67 children.