Palestinian Cabinet urges action to halt Gaza humanitarian crisis
The Cabinet also approved a draft general amnesty decree, which would be the first of its kind in Palestine since the Palestinian National Authority was established.
The Palestinian Cabinet renewed its calls on Monday for the international community to act against the crisis in Gaza, the Cabinet said in a statement carried by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa opened the weekly session by focusing on Gaza's urgent needs and said efforts with international institutions and partners were continuing to expand relief work.
The Cabinet said Gaza's residents are entering a fourth winter in damaged tents that offer no protection from cold and rain.
Aid access and relief work
The Cabinet said Israel continues to block the entry of humanitarian aid and materials needed for shelter and reconstruction, and it criticized what it described as international silence over the suffering.
It called on all local and international parties to facilitate the work of Palestinian government teams in Gaza, which are setting up shelter centers, repairing water networks, rehabilitating infrastructure and providing essential needs.
The Cabinet also said field relief programmes must not be obstructed.
Amnesty and local funding
The Cabinet submitted a draft decree-law on general amnesty to the President, which would be the first general amnesty law in Palestine since the Palestinian National Authority was established.
The proposed law would end criminal proceedings pending before the courts for covered offences and reduce the backlog of criminal cases, while leaving victims' rights to seek compensation intact.
The law excludes most serious offences, including crimes against state security, murder and economic crimes.
Separately, the Cabinet approved distributing 184 million shekels in 2025 revenues from road transport fees and fines among municipalities, village councils and refugee camps.
A total of 92 million shekels will be paid in instalments under approved criteria, while an equal amount will go to infrastructure projects for local government units through the Ministry of Local Government.
Priority will go to areas threatened with Israeli demolition, the Jordan Valley, Jerusalem and areas beyond the wall Israel has built.
Trade deals and holiday
The Cabinet approved memoranda of understanding between the Palestinian Industrial Estates and Free Zones Authority and the Federation of Arab Industrial Cities and Zones, and a second with the Arab Union for Industrial Estates and Zones, both aimed at supporting Palestinian industrial estates.
It also ratified bilateral agreements with European Free Trade Association member states on agricultural products, with the aim of boosting Palestinian exports to several European countries.
The Cabinet approved Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, as an official holiday marking the Declaration of Independence.
Gaza has been devastated by war since October 2023, and the territory's population has faced severe shortages of shelter and basic services.
