Representatives of international organisations, ministers of various countries, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are due to attend an international conference on Palestine co-hosted by the Egypt and Norway in Cairo on 12 October, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced on Friday. The international conference is to specifically address "the reconstruction of Gaza" and aims to "strengthen the United Nations' list of import and export of goods and materials into and out of the Gaza Strip," the ministry statement said. The Palestinian unity government will coordinate with the international community to address the needs of private sector projects. The conference is also set to discuss the removal of restrictions and provide more access to private sector goods. It is also due to "provide financial support for the reconstruction of the sector" over the next five years, the statement continued. The conference will be under the chairmanship of the secretary generals of the United Nations and the Arab League. A representative from the European Union, the US secretary of state, and ministers of foreign affairs from Japan, France, Italy, and Jordan are all due to attend the conference. According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference aims to "improve the prospects for a political solution to the conflict by strengthening the Palestinian government's ability to shoulder its responsibility on the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip." The Palestinian News Agency, Ma'an, reported that the first cabinet meeting of the Palestinian unity government is to take place after the Eid al-Adha holiday in Gaza. The Gaza Strip continues to suffer the repercussions of the damage in the aftermath of 50-day long Israeli attacks. The Israeli attack on the strip began on 7 July and ended on 26 August. Israel killed at least 2,149 Palestinians – including 942 women and children. The Israeli death toll was 69, including three civilians and one child. Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Pierre Krähenbühl previously said that there is a "crying need for financial support" in Gaza. He added Gaza needs at least $47m for the strip to be "just about bearable" pending full reconstruction. Hamas demands that Gaza be able to build a seaport and airport, that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detentions be released, and that the siege on Gaza be lifted as conditions to the ceasefire agreement. The Gaza Strip has been under siege by Israel, while also Egypt regularly closes its side of the border, since Hamas took control of the strip eight years ago. This has made Gaza's economy highly interlinked and dependent on Israel. Gaza's reconstruction is due to begin after the conference takes place.
