RAMALLAH: International donors will meet at a conference in Egypt next month to raise funds to rebuild the devastated Gaza Strip, the Palestinian prime minister said Thursday.
“A donors conference will be held in mid-February in Egypt, Salam Fayyad told a press conference in Ramallah.
Norwegian deputy foreign minister Raymond Johansen said: “Norway wants to coordinate the international effort and to support the Palestinian Authority – it’s very crucial to support the Palestinian Authority and to rebuild the Palestinian institutions.
Johansen said a donor coordinating committee – which he heads – would also meet in February, but he did not indicate the location.
Palestinian officials estimated the damage from Israel’s 22-day offensive against Hamas at some $2 billion.
Medics said 1,330 people died and 5,450 were wounded. According to the Palestinian Authority some 4,000 homes were razed and 17,000 damaged.
The Palestinian Authority, which lost control of Gaza to Hamas in June 2007, insists it must lead reconstruction efforts.
Israel has also warned that the Islamist Hamas cannot be allowed to lead the rebuilding process. -AFP
