The United Nations announced a deal has been agreed by Israeli and Palestinian officials that will enable reconstruction of the Gaza strip.
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry told the UN Security Council that the agreement will see building materials allowed into Gaza, to help repair some of the “truly shocking levels of destruction to infrastructure, hospitals and schools.”
Palestinian leaders estimated the cost of reconstruction to be $7 billion.
Serry called the move “an important step, which I hope will give hope to the people in Gaza, and an important step, we hope, towards the full lifting of remaining closures in Gaza".
However, he warned that the deal did not mean that lasting peace had been reached and the situation remained fragile.
“The Gaza conflict is an appalling human tragedy, and has also exacted a terrible cost in already strained trust,” Serry said, adding the crisis is “far from over and the window of opportunity to address critical needs and stabilize the situation is short."
"When I warn that Gaza could implode, or explode again, or the two State paradigm could slip irreversibly away, I do not believe I am crying wolf… While the cease-fire brokered by Egypt has largely held since August 16, it remains worryingly fragile with the underlying dynamics still unaddressed.”