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Donors pledge aid to rebuild Gaza Cash alone 'will not mend Gaza'
(30 minutes later)
International donors meeting in Egypt are expected to pledge billions of dollars to rebuild Gaza after Israel's recent offensive. Political action as well as funding is needed to resolve the crisis facing Gaza, an international donors' conference in Egypt has been told.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is seeking $2.8bn (£2bn) in foreign aid. The Palestinians have asked for $2.8bn (£2bn) to help rebuild the enclave after Israel's three-week offensive.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas told the meeting that funding was "insufficient" without a political solution. But Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told the summit cash was "insufficient" without a political solution.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who pledged $900m, said the crisis in Gaza could not be separated from the wider peace process. His comments were echoed by new US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who pledged $900m toward the effort.
"By providing humanitarian aid to Gaza we also aim to foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realised, a state that is a responsible partner, is at peace with Israel and its Arab neighbours and is accountable to its people," she said. "Our response to today's crisis in Gaza cannot be separated from our broader efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace," Mrs Clinton told the conference, in her first visit to the Middle East as America's top diplomat.
All but essential supplies are still subject to Israeli blockades at the crossing points into Gaza. Hillary Clinton: 'Time is of the essence'
GAZA DESTRUCTION 14,000 homes219 factories240 schools UNDP estimates class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/middle_east_gaza0s_samouni_street/html/1.stm">In pictures: Samouni Street She said the aim of the aid was to "foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realised".
And donors stress that aid should not be channelled through Hamas, which both the US and the EU regard as a terrorist organisation. Some 1,300 Palestinians, of whom 412 were children, were killed and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed in December and January as Israel tried to bring an end to cross-border rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.
Some 1,300 Palestinians, of whom 412 were children, were killed during fighting in December and January, with thousands of homes and businesses destroyed. Hamas, which controls Gaza but is regarded by both the US and the EU as a terrorist organisation, was not invited to attend the one-day conference at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Israel and Hamas declared unilateral truces on 17 January. Neither are attending the conference.
'One viable future''One viable future'
Donations from the one-day conference at Egypt's Red Sea resort are expected to exceed the Palestinians request for $2.8bn (£2bn). Donations are expected to exceed the Palestinians' request for $2.8bn (£2bn). As well as Mrs Clinton's $900m, Saudi Arabia is expected to reaffirm its promised $1bn (£703m) for Gaza.
href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7918089.stm">Clinton's delicate Mid-east tour The situation at the border crossings is intolerable Ban Ki-moonUN Secretary General href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7918716.stm">What is getting into Gaza?
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - in her first visit to the Middle East as America's top diplomat - has brought with her a cheque for $900m, while Saudi Arabia is expected to reaffirm its promised $1bn (£703m) for Gaza. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that while all the support was appreciated, "we insist on the pressing need to achieve substantial progress towards a just settlement [of the conflict with Israel]".
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told delegates that while all the support was appreciated, "we insist on the pressing need to achieve substantial progress towards a just settlement [of the conflict with Israel]".
"We are all conscious that the reconstruction and development efforts will remain insufficient, powerless and threatened in the absence of a political settlement," he said at the conference."We are all conscious that the reconstruction and development efforts will remain insufficient, powerless and threatened in the absence of a political settlement," he said at the conference.
The conference heard similar calls from other speakers. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said now was the "time to think freshly, to lead boldly".
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told delegates: "There is only one viable future: Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security." "There is only one viable future: Palestinians and Israelis living side by side in peace and security," he told delegates.
"If ever there were a time to think freshly, to lead boldly, it is now," he added.
The situation at the border crossings is intolerable Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary General
French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged "responsible Palestinians" to seek peace with Israel.French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged "responsible Palestinians" to seek peace with Israel.
"You must admit that there is no other road to the creation of a Palestinian state but to engage resolutely in searching for a political solution and engage in a dialogue with Israel," he said in a message to Hamas."You must admit that there is no other road to the creation of a Palestinian state but to engage resolutely in searching for a political solution and engage in a dialogue with Israel," he said in a message to Hamas.
Mrs Clinton said the US was working with the PA "to install safeguards that will ensure our funding is only used where and for whom it is intended and does not end up in the wrong hands," a reference to Hamas. Aid flows
Following the conference, she is due to travel to both Israel and the Palestinian territories to speak to leaders from both sides. Raising money for Gaza is the easy part, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Egypt says.
'Open crossings' GAZA DESTRUCTION 14,000 homes219 factories240 schools UNDP estimates class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/middle_east_gaza0s_samouni_street/html/1.stm">In pictures: Samouni Street
The main obstacle to reconstruction of Gaza are the crossings which remain largely closed to all but essential supplies, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Sharm el-Sheikh. The real business of the conference is the practicalities of how to get it to the people who need it most, he adds.
Tony Blair on the need for aid and a political solution in Gaza All but essential supplies are still subject to Israeli blockades at the crossing points into Gaza.
Ban Ki-moon described the situation at the crossings as "intolerable". Mr Ban described the situation at the crossings as "intolerable".
"Aid workers do not have access. Essential commodities cannot get in. Our first and indispensable goal, therefore, is open crossings," he told delegates."Aid workers do not have access. Essential commodities cannot get in. Our first and indispensable goal, therefore, is open crossings," he told delegates.
"By the same token, however, it is therefore essential to ensure that illegal weapons do not enter Gaza." But he said it was also "essential" to ensure that illegal weapons were prevented from being allowed to enter Gaza.
Israel said it fully supported the conference and the idea of strengthening support for the people of Gaza through humanitarian and reconstruction aid. Donor countries as well as Israel, which did not attend the conference, have stressed that they do not want aid to end up in the hands of Hamas.
"But we must be clear," spokesman Mark Regev said. "Like the international community, Israel does not want to see support to Hamas. We want to see support for the people of Gaza." "Like the international community, Israel does not want to see support to Hamas," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said. "We want to see support for the people of Gaza."
The Palestinian Authority has proposed that all aid to Gaza is channelled through itself rather than Hamas, which won elections to the Palestinian parliament in 2006 and consolidated its control of Gaza by force a year later. The Palestinian Authority has proposed that all aid to Gaza is channelled through itself.
Although Israel and the Middle East Quartet refuse to speak to Hamas, UN agencies working in Gaza do co-ordinate with the Hamas government. Although Israel and Western negotiators refuse to speak to Hamas, UN agencies working in Gaza do co-ordinate with the Hamas government.
UN relief agency Unrwa says it has contacts with Hamas "even at ministerial level", but strictly on technical issues related to the delivery of its humanitarian services in line with wider UN policy.UN relief agency Unrwa says it has contacts with Hamas "even at ministerial level", but strictly on technical issues related to the delivery of its humanitarian services in line with wider UN policy.
Do you think an international aid effort is enough to rebuild Gaza? Are you in the region? Send us your comments using the form below.Do you think an international aid effort is enough to rebuild Gaza? Are you in the region? Send us your comments using the form below.
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