(Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today (Tuesday), 13 January 2009, in coordination with the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs, decided to appoint Social Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog to coordinate between the various Government bodies regarding the humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The decision was made in order to increase the humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip and against the background of requests by bodies and countries around the world that have expressed their concern over the developing humanitarian situation in the Strip. Minister Herzog will, inter alia, coordinate aid operations with the relevant international organizations, and deal with the information campaign related to the humanitarian issue.