MOSCOW, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - The Gulf Arab state of Qatar will provide $1 billion for Gaza reconstruction following a war there between Israel and Hamas militant group, the Jerusalem Post reported Sunday.
"The state of Qatar announces its participation with an amount of $1 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza," Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiya was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying at the conference in Cairo.
While the United States agreed to offer only $212 million in immediate aid, US Secretary of State John Kerry highlighted that not just money, but commitment from all sides that is needed to restore peace in the region.
"Out of this conference must come not just money but a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians for all people of this region. And I promise you the full commitment of president Obama, myself and the United States to try to do that," Kerry said at a Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo.
Earlier, the Palestinian authorities asked the international community for $4 billion to reconstruct Gaza.
In June, Israel launched a military operation against the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. According to UN data, the 50-day armed conflict claimed the lives of over 2,100 Palestinians and 71 Israelis. Palestinian authorities have estimated that over 60,000 residential buildings in Gaza were damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
In late August, the sides agreed on a truce mediated by the Egyptian government. The agreement envisaged Israel opening border crossings to allow humanitarian aid and construction materials to enter Gaza.
