Shafaq News – Baghdad
Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and plans to rebuild and stabilize the war-torn Strip dominated talks between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris in Baghdad on Sunday.
According to the PM’s media office, the discussion also focused on consolidating efforts to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people and halt hostilities in the enclave, where the Israeli war has killed more than 68,000 and injured over 170,000 since October 7, 2023, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The meeting comes as Iraq prepares to take a central role in Gaza’s reconstruction, with plans underway for a new summit to launch a Gaza Reconstruction Fund, supported by donations from countries backing the recently signed peace framework in Sharm el-Sheikh, a senior Arab diplomatic source revealed to Shafaq News on Tuesday.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has projected total reconstruction costs at $70 billion, with more than 55 million tons of debris still covering Gaza.
Read more: Sharm El-Sheikh Summit: A narrow opening or a carefully staged pause?