Dr. Nasr Abdel Karim, Professor of Economic Sciences, expressed gratitude to Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their mediation efforts to stop the war in Gaza, emphasizing that although the agreement is limited to the first phase, it could pave the way for a comprehensive peaceful political settlement of the conflict.

In a phone interview with Extra News channel, Abdel Karim explained that stopping the aggression and the bleeding of Palestinian blood is a source of joy for all Palestinians, noting that living conditions in Gaza are catastrophic after years of siege since 2006, with about 95% destruction of infrastructure and economic sectors, while the West Bank suffers from high unemployment and a severe financial crisis due to Israel withholding clearance revenues.

He added that the Palestinian economy lost billions of dollars during the recent aggression, explaining that Gaza lost 90% of its economic activity, and that economic recovery requires political and security conditions, including the release of clearance funds, stopping settlement expansion, and easing Israeli restrictions.

Regarding reconstruction, Abdel Karim indicated that current estimates range between $60 and $65 billion, and the expected time to complete the process ranges between 10 and 15 years if political and security conditions are met and a serious peace process begins.

He confirmed that the reconstruction process will be multi-track and involve multiple parties, including international institutions and Arab countries, noting that the Arab Republic of Egypt will call for a conference to rebuild Gaza as it did after the 2014 war.