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Egypt to host international donor conference for Gaza reconstruction
Egypt’s Foreign Minister announced yesterday that Cairo will host a conference for international donors to contribute towards the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in the wake of Operation Protective Edge.
Egypt brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which brought an end to the 50-day Gaza conflict last month and now appears central to tackling its aftermath. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said invitations to the conference, scheduled for 12 October, would be extended soon. The announcement came after Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had met with Norway’s foreign minister with the Scandinavian country set to chair the conference.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) recently estimated that the cost of rebuilding Gaza would total £4.8 billion. However, PA Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa acknowledged that the success of the conference would somewhat depend on the extent of PA governance of Gaza. According to AP, Mustafa said, “Some of the donating countries are worried about the condition on the ground; the reconstruction won’t occur as long as the Palestinian Authority doesn’t receive control over all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas has controlled Gaza since forcibly seizing power from the Fatah faction of PA President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. Earlier this week, Abbas threatened to dissolve the Palestinian unity government formed in June with Hamas backing, unless Hamas recognise “one authority, one gun, one law” in Gaza in the form of PA control.
Meanwhile, in an analysis in this morning’s Haaretz, Amos Harel says that Egyptian officials are busily shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah to make progress on a long-term ceasefire before the end of the month, as agreed as part of the truce which ended Operation Protective Edge. Harel says that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon both agree on the need to ease restrictions on Gaza to help prevent a resumption of fighting. However, both are also wary not to hand out concessions which Hamas will portray as a victory.