CAIRO, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - Washington will allocate $212 million to Gaza reconstruction program, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday.
The head of the US Department of State has pledged the aid to help reconstruct Palestinian territories, devastated after Israel's military operation against Hamas held in summer.
Kerry visited the Egyptian capital Cairo to take part in an international conference on the reconstruction of the Gaza strip. During the meeting, the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas announced that the rebuilding of Gaza requires $4 billion.
In June, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas group, which involved airstrikes on Gaza. According to UN data, military action has claimed over 2,100 Palestinians and 71 Israelis. Airstrikes have also damaged the infrastructure of Gaza with the Palestinian Authority estimating that over 60,000 residential buildings have been ruined.
In late August, the Palestinian Authority and Israel, mediated by the Egyptian government, reached a truce. The agreement envisaged Israel opening border crossings to allow humanitarian aid and construction materials to enter Gaza.
