Manama: A Qatari official has denied media reports that his country was building an embassy on the Gaza Strip.

“The reports about a Gaza embassy are false and lack credibility,” Mohammad Esmail Al Amadi, the head of Qatar’s national committee for the reconstruction of Gaza, said. “The plan is to build headquarters for the Qatari committee supervising the projects it is implementing in the Gaza Strip,” he said, quoted by Qatari daily Al Raya on Wednesday.

All the Qatari projects that are implemented in Gaza have been coordinated with the Palestinian government headed by Prime Minister Rami Al Hamdallah, he added.

On Tuesday, reports claimed that the Qatari committee was holding a preliminary meeting with companies bidding for the construction of the Qatari embassy in Gaza.

The diplomatic complex would also include the ambassador’s residence and additional offices on the Strip.

According to the reports, Abdul Halim Al Eisawi, the head of the road section within the committee, chaired the meeting and answered the queries of the company representatives.

Palestinians had reportedly welcomed the decision by Qatar to open an embassy in Gaza that would reinforce the support that the Peninsular Gulf country has provided.

“Senior Palestinian figures have praised the step to open the embassy in Gaza and considered it a great breakthrough,” the report said.

The Gaza Strip, occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank form the State of Palestine.