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| Rebuilding Gaza: Donors pledge millions at Cairo summit | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| International donors are pledging hundreds of millions of dollars to help rebuild Gaza at a conference in Cairo. | |
| The US has committed $212m (£132m) in new aid while Qatar has promised $1bn (£622m). | |
| The Palestinian Authority is appealing for a total $4bn (£2.5bn) to rebuild Gaza after the 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. | The Palestinian Authority is appealing for a total $4bn (£2.5bn) to rebuild Gaza after the 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. |
| At least 100,000 Gazans lost their homes in the war and much of the territory's infrastructure was damaged. | At least 100,000 Gazans lost their homes in the war and much of the territory's infrastructure was damaged. |
| Earlier the Palestinian and Egyptian presidents called on Israel to commit to a long-term peace initiative. | Earlier the Palestinian and Egyptian presidents called on Israel to commit to a long-term peace initiative. |
| Mahmoud Abbas and Abdul Fattah al-Sisi urged Israel to give up land seized in the 1967 Middle East war and accept a fair solution for Palestinian refugees in exchange for full recognition. | |
| The seven-week Gaza conflict, which ended in a truce on 26 August, killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, the UN says, along with 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel. | The seven-week Gaza conflict, which ended in a truce on 26 August, killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, the UN says, along with 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel. |
| Cycle of conflict | Cycle of conflict |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry said that with winter approaching, the thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes needed urgent help. | US Secretary of State John Kerry said that with winter approaching, the thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes needed urgent help. |
| "The people of Gaza do need our help desperately, not tomorrow, not next week, but they need it now" he said at the conference. | "The people of Gaza do need our help desperately, not tomorrow, not next week, but they need it now" he said at the conference. |
| He added that anything other than a long-term commitment to peace would be a "band-aid fix". | He added that anything other than a long-term commitment to peace would be a "band-aid fix". |
| UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and envoys from dozens of countries are attending the Cairo conference, which is hosted by Egypt's President Sisi. | |
| Gulf and European countries were also expected to pledge funds for Gaza's reconstruction. | |
| At the opening of the conference, President Sisi urged "the Israelis, both the people and the government" to put an end to the conflict. | |
| "We should turn this moment into a real starting point to achieve a peace that secures stability and flourishing and renders the dream of coexistence a reality," he said. | |
| Mr Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, said it was "time for truth and justice to prevail". | |
| Correspondents say some neighbourhoods in Gaza resembled earthquake zones following intense bombardment from Israel during the war. The Israeli air strikes had sought to halt rocket-fire from Gaza. | Correspondents say some neighbourhoods in Gaza resembled earthquake zones following intense bombardment from Israel during the war. The Israeli air strikes had sought to halt rocket-fire from Gaza. |
| Contentious issue | Contentious issue |
| The two sides have fought three wars in six years. | The two sides have fought three wars in six years. |
| Israel was not invited to the conference but Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said any rebuilding efforts would need his government's consent. | |
| "You can't reconstruct Gaza without Israeli participation and without Israeli co-operation," he told news website Ynet ahead of the meeting on Sunday. | |
| "In any case, we will try to be positive about the civil infrastructure and the rehabilitation of civilians." | |
| Rebuilding depends on Israel allowing in enough construction materials, the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo reports. | Rebuilding depends on Israel allowing in enough construction materials, the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo reports. |
| This is a contentious issue because Hamas has used cement to build tunnels into Israeli territory in the past, our correspondent adds. | This is a contentious issue because Hamas has used cement to build tunnels into Israeli territory in the past, our correspondent adds. |
| The Gaza Strip, sandwiched between Israel and Egypt, has been a recurring flashpoint in the Israel-Palestinian conflict for years. | The Gaza Strip, sandwiched between Israel and Egypt, has been a recurring flashpoint in the Israel-Palestinian conflict for years. |
| Israel occupied Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war and pulled its troops and settlers out in 2005. Israel considered this the end of the occupation, but it still exercises control over most of Gaza's borders, waters and airspace. Egypt controls Gaza's southern border. | Israel occupied Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war and pulled its troops and settlers out in 2005. Israel considered this the end of the occupation, but it still exercises control over most of Gaza's borders, waters and airspace. Egypt controls Gaza's southern border. |