US pledges $212 million for the rebuilding of Gaza

The United States has promised $212 million in immediate assistance to the devastated Gaza Strip, but urges Palestinians and Israelis to return to peace negotiations to break a cycle of violence that has yielded three wars in six years. People in Gaza “need our help desperately — not tomorrow, not next week, but they need it now,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said at an international donor conference held in Cairo on Sunday. He said more than 20,000 homes need to be rebuilt and 100,000 people remain displaced with winter fast approaching.

The (Palestinian) government will carry out the reconstruction plan with full responsibility and transparency in coordination with the U.N., the donors, international financial institutions, civil society and the private sector.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday promised a transparent and responsible use of funds pledged at the donor’s conference. SWestern-backed Abbas said $4 billion was needed to reconstruct the coastal strip after the 50-day war that ended on Aug. 27. Participants were expected to pledge hundreds of millions of dollars. Donors plan to funnel the aid through the Palestinian Authority that Abbas leads, and bypass Hamas.

Middle East Gaza