(VOVworld) – The Palestinian unity government will hold its first meeting in Gaza on Thursday.

A Palestinian flag waves as a man walks over the rubble of houses that were destroyed in the recent Israel-Hamas war, in Khuzaa, southern Gaza Strip. (Photo: AP)

In an e-mail statement on Monday, Palestinian Minister of Labour Ma’mon Abu Shahla said Prime Minister Hamdallah and his cabinet ministers in the West Bank and Gaza will meet in Gaza city for the first time since the government took office in June. It’s unclear whether Israel will allow the ministers from the West Bank to enter Gaza through the Erez border crossing. Abu Shahla said the Palestinian cabinet will discuss the consequences of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza strip, the reconstruction plan, and ways to support Palestinians whether the meeting is convened or not.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish Ambassador to Israel Monday to protest Stockholm’s announcement that it recognises the State of Palestine, saying Sweden’s decision “will not improve Israel-Palestine relations but rather damage them.”