Gazan women stage protest rally, demand urgent reconstruction

Hundreds of Palestinian women in Gaza demanded the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mahmoud Abbas, the consensus government, and the United Nations to reconstruct the thousands of buildings that were destroyed during the last Israeli aggression on Gaza as soon as possible.

During the protest in front of the UNRWA headquarters on Wednesday, the Palestinian women, whose houses were destroyed, condemned the slackening position of the Agency vis-à-vis the reconstruction issue, warning that the whole region will explode in case the reconstruction is further delayed.

Participants in the protest, organized by the women’s movement, raised banners calling on Abbas, the PA government, the United Nations and the whole world to urgently reconstruct the Gaza Strip. Some of the banners read: “Can’t you see our suffering?”, “Oh Free World … Reconstruct our homes quickly” and many other banners.

The women’s movement spokesperson, Tahani Al-Selawi, said that Gazans were very optimistic when the reconciliation took place, but they did not know that Gaza is not of any importance to the government and to the Palestinian Chairman.

She asked, in a press conference held during the protest, Abbas and the consensus government to assume their responsibilities and to grant the Gazans their rights.

She added: “Our message to UNRWA is: “How could you stand against the victims who spent their lives building their houses to provide their families with decent and dignified life … how could you prevent them from reconstructing their houses … or do you like the view of homeless people?”

She also addressed the Egyptian authorities saying: “Egypt is no longer a ‘bigger brother’ as we used to know it throughout history, but rather it is tightening the blockade”.

She added, “On behalf of all the homeless families and the patients we are calling on you to open Rafah crossing; we want to move freely, we need cement for the reconstruction and we need medicine”.

Selawi wondered about the reason behind the silence of the Free World, the United Nations, and the Arab League while watching Gazan people suffer from the inhumane blockade.

She said: “What are you waiting for? Thousands of us are starving and suffering illness, if you don’t harry up and put an end to this blockade and rebuild our houses and schools … Gaza will explode in your faces.”

She also stressed that the women’s movement will not stop its rallies until the suffering of the Gazan people ends, warning that the whole region will ignite if the conspiracy against the homeless continues.