Ramallah : UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov met Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah here on Monday and discussed with him the implementation of the intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo, Egypt, on October 12.

In particular, the agreement provides for the return of the crossings of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority by November 1.

“The timely and effective implementation of this provision and concrete steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis will be critical for effectively empowering the Palestinian government in Gaza,” said Mladenov after his meeting with Hamdallah.

“The agreement is also an important step toward achieving the goal of Palestinian unity under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian national authority,” added Mladenov.

He also noted that the UN will continue to work with the Palestinian leadership, Egypt and the region in support of the process, highlighting its importance for reaching a negotiated two-state solution and sustainable peace.

Following the signing of the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas movements last week, UN Secretary General António Guterres congratulated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the agreement and emphasized the need to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip, particularly with regard to the electricity crisis, and improved access to and from the territory.

—AB/OIC-UNA