Crisis in Gaza political: Palestinian PM

Ramallah, Sep 14 Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said that the crisis in Gaza "is political" in response to the plan proposed by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on resolving the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.

"The crisis in Gaza is political, likewise the crisis in the West Bank and East Jerusalem," Ishtaye said at a weekly meeting of the Palestinian Authority cabinet.

Ishtaye noted that what is needed "is a serious and real political track that relies on international law and the United Nations resolutions", Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

He also added that the Palestin are seeking a political solution to end the military occupation of the Palestinian territories, stop settlement expansion and lift years of blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

On Sunday, Israeli media reported that Lapid has proposed a new "economy for security" plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

He said that Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip, restricted the imports and exports of the goods and indulged in four rounds of large-scale military offensives, adding the new plan aims at creating "stability on both sides of the border".

According to Lapid, the first phase of the plan focuses on an "upgraded humanitarian reconstruction of Gaza", while the second phase proposes investments in large infrastructures, which Israel has blocked, such as building an artificial island off the enclave's shore for a new port.

The plan has not yet been discussed by the Israeli cabinet.