U.S. Pledges $900 Million for Gaza Reconstruction

The United States will contribute more than $900 million toward the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, according to an administration official who spoke anonymously. The gift will be announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Cairo donors’ conference next week. The official pointed out that the funding would be channeled through United Nations agencies and others groups not affiliated with Hamas, which rules Gaza. Strengthening Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas was also cited as a purpose of the funding. According to the Reuters news agency, some of the funding had already been earmarked for the Palestinians, while some of it is new. P.A. Prime Minister Salam Faya’d told The Media Line last week that he has an agreement with banks that will enable Gazans to receive stipends directly from the banks, thus circumventing any need to include either Hamas or Fatah in the process. It has been estimated that at least $2 billion will be needed for the Gaza restoration. The American funding must be approved by Congress, and, according to analysts at The Media Line, that path might not be without bumps given the state of the economy and Hamas’s continued rule over the Gaza Strip.