.bmp)
.bmp)
International donors at a conference in Egypt pledged $4.48bn over two years to support the Palestinian economy and rebuild Gaza after the Israeli offensive, but made clear none of the funds should end up in the hands of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the territory.In her first trip to the region since her appointment as US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton said urgent action was needed to break the cycle of violence and move towards a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.“The United States is prepared to engage in aggressive diplomacy with all sides in pursuit of a comprehensive settlement that brings peace and security to Israel, the Palestinians and their Arab neighbours,” said Mrs Clinton.Mrs Clinton pledged $900m (€714m, £643m) of aid for the Palestinians of which $300m was earmarked for urgent humanitarian relief to Gaza. The aid includes budgetary, security and infrastructure support for the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, which was ousted from Gaza in 2007 by Hamas, the Islamist militant group.Mrs Clinton stressed that the US had worked with the PA to put in place safeguards to ensure that the funds did not fall into “the wrong hands”-a reference to Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by the US.The European Union said it would give $554m and there were pledges from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries totalling $1.65bn.Although billed as a donors’ conference, delegates at the meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh focused less on sums of money pledged than on the need to resume a political process aimed at delivering a Palestinian state.They stressed the need for Palestinian reconciliation to end the situation where there were rival administrations in Gaza and the West Bank.At least $1.33bn of the assistance is expected to be spent on rebuilding Gaza but officials made it clear that this aid would not be disbursed until Hamas was no longer in control of territory. Another $1.5bn is intended to make up the expected deficit in the PA’s budget for this fiscal year.Neither Israel, which continues to blockade Gaza, nor Hamas were represented at the conference. The two sides have yet to agree a ceasefire in spite of more than a month of Egyptian mediation. Israel insists that it will not open Gaza’s border crossings until there are arrangements to ensure that the militant group could not bring in weapons or rebuild its strength.“Aid workers do not have access,” said Ban Ki Moon, secretary-general of the UN. “Essential commodities cannot get in...Our first and indispensable goal, therefore, is to open crossings.By the same token, however, it is therefore essential to ensure illegal weapons do not enter Gaza.”Mrs Clinton said Palestinian rockets launched against Israel by Hamas militants had to stop.She said Israel had to show “the Palestinians that there are benefits to negotiating”. She did not, however, call on Israel to open Gaza’s crossings.By Heba Saleh in Sharm El Sheikh
As in the days of Noah...
