Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Money For Gaza

Money For Gaza : Dry Bones cartoon.
According to the Jerusalem Post of March 2, 2009:
Over $4.4b. raised at Sharm for Gaza

"Palestinian officials from rival factions welcomed pledges of more than $4.4 billion to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip that were made at the donors conference held in Sharm e-Sheikh on Monday. "We appreciate this very much, and we hope it can be transferred into reality in an expeditious fashion so we can see the reconstruction of Gaza begin immediately," chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told The Jerusalem Post.

Earlier on Monday, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told reporters in Gaza that the group welcomed "any Arab and international effort to rebuild what the occupation destroyed," calling the reconstruction process "a humane and moral" one.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Jerusalem on Monday to consult with Israeli government officials and with Palestinian officials in the West Bank, said the United States was pledging $900 million to the international aid effort for the Gaza Strip." -more


According to Haaretz of March 3, 2009:
Donors gather in Sharm el-Sheikh, pledge $4.4 billion for Gaza Strip reconstruction

"Rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip continued to fall yesterday as more than 80 states and organizations met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday to raise reconstruction aid for the territory battered during Operation Cast Lead.

At least $4.4 billion in aid was pledged yesterday by donors for both the Palestinian economy at large, and the Gaza Strip in particular. The plan is to make the money available to the Palestinian Authority over the next two years.

Originally, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had asked for a donors conference hoping that about $2.5 billion would be raised. However the figures have exceeded expectations and Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that in addition to pledges made before yesterday's gathering, the total figure comes to $5.2 billion." -more


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