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U.S. Secretary of State U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking to students in Beijing on Friday.
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Last update - 22:24 23/02/2009
'U.S. plans to pledge $900 million for Gaza'
By Reuters
Tags: West Bank, Hillary Clinton 

The United States plans to pledge more than $900 million to help rebuild Gaza after Israel's offensive against Hamas and strengthen the Palestinian Authority, a U.S. official said on Monday.

The money will be channeled through UN and other bodies and will not be distributed via the militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to make the announcement next week at a Gaza donors conference in Egypt.

The March 2 donors conference in Sharm el-Sheikh resort aims to raise humanitarian and rebuilding funds for Gaza after Israel's offensive against Hamas at the end of last year. About 1,300 Palestinians were killed during the campaign, according to Gaza officials, as were 13 Israelis.
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Preliminary estimates put the damage in Hamas-run Gaza after Israel's offensive at nearly $2 billion.

Clinton's bid to get the $900 million could face an uphill battle in Congress where requests for Gaza will likely meet resistance as Hamas continues to rule there and the U.S. focus is on its own souring economy.

In December, the former Bush administration said it would give $85 million to the United Nations agency giving aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Hamas is labeled a terrorist group by the United States and money must be channeled through UN bodies or the Palestinian Authority run by President Mahmoud Abbas.

The United States wants Abbas' PA to play a central role in the reconstruction effort in Gaza, hoping this will increase its influence in the Hamas stronghold. Washington is also putting pressure on other donors to bolster the Palestinian Authority. Hamas ousted Fatah from Gaza in a bloody 2007 coup.

"We call on donor countries to focus their pledges to meet the Palestinian Authority's priorities, including budget support, and on projects that can be funded through the Palestinian Authority and other existing, trusted mechanisms," said the State Department official.

The quartet of Middle East mediators - the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Egyptian conference where they will work on strategy on Gaza, U.S. officials said.

"We will also emphasize the importance of laying the conditions for successful negotiations toward the two-state solution and an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict," the State Department official said of discussions in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Egypt will be Clinton's first stop on a trip expected to include Israel and the occupied West Bank - a public demonstration of the Obama administration's promise to make Arab-Israeli peacemaking a foreign policy priority.

The State Department has not formally announced her other stops in the region but Israeli officials said Clinton was expected there on March 3 after the Egyptian conference.

Clinton's special envoy to the region, George Mitchell, is set to visit there this week in a bid to revive stalled Palestinian statehood talks complicated both by Hamas and political uncertainty in last week's general election.

On Sunday, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to work with U.S. President Barack Obama for Middle East peace by pursuing the formation of a broad coalition government.

"I intend and expect to cooperate with the Obama administration and to try to advance the common goals of peace, security and prosperity for us and our neighbors," the U.S.-educated Netanyahu told reporters.

Following a February 10 election, Netanyahu already has the backing of 65 rightist members of the 120-seat parliament, but a narrow government could put him on a collision course with Obama and his promise to move quickly on a Palestinian statehood deal.


Related articles:
  • EU: Netanyahu-led government could harm Mideast peace talks
  • Israel's new Iran policy: Sway Obama on Tehran talks
  • Gulf states launch Arab aid plan to rebuild Gaza in wake of Israel's offensive
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      1.   Billions of $s pledged/spent previously by EU & US? Where is it? 22:47  |  just wondering 23/02/09
      2.   with or without spending controls? 22:49  |  Avi 23/02/09
      3.   USA should deduct 900M from their arms gifts to Israel. 22:51  |  Javier Lobo 23/02/09
      4.   It`s pretty obvious 22:58  |  Maor 23/02/09
      5.   Why should we pay? 23:05  |  US Taxpayer 23/02/09
      6.   Javier#3 23:10  |  KR 23/02/09
      7.   This money will only encourage more terror 23:20  |  McQueen 23/02/09
      8.   Is this part of the stimulus package? 23:37  |  Jerry 23/02/09
      9.   Who pays?Not me! How about the freeking UN? 23:42  |  Isabella 23/02/09
      10.   #7 Mc Queen "will only encourage more terror" 23:44  |  alan 23/02/09
      11.   The gift that keeps on giving 23:45  |  Ed 23/02/09
      12.   US Taxpayer: I agree 23:45  |  American 23/02/09
      13.   we don`t want your bloody money 23:54  |  yoonis 23/02/09
      14.   come on 23:54  |  Dave 23/02/09
      15.   pledge 23:58  |  flo 23/02/09
      16.   Mahmoud Abbas 00:00  |  Omer 24/02/09
      17.   Pledge of money 00:04  |  Marc 24/02/09
      18.   $900 million for palistinians 00:11  |  Walter Wirlo 24/02/09
      19.   real taxpayer 00:17  |  felix 24/02/09
      20.   And then we give Israel 02:41  |  Mark Lincoln 24/02/09
      21.   90 Million not 900 02:44  |  Elie Elgazzar 24/02/09
      22.   Buy Them Out 02:48  |  Nicolai 24/02/09
      23.   If Israel Won`t Allow Aid Into Gaza 02:51  |  Lee Kaplan 24/02/09
      24.   Clinton 02:54  |  NCDixon 24/02/09
      25.   American,Iran is behind Hamas attack-Iran pays for destruction 02:55  |  yes 24/02/09
      26.   Is there any way. . . . 04:05  |  MichaelF 24/02/09
      27.   It is a huge mistake! 04:05  |  GPS 24/02/09
      28.   Canadian Per Capita Colonialist democracy 04:06  |  NL_Expatriate 24/02/09
      29.   I have an idea, why doesn`t US pledge the money 04:11  |  Arlo Karras 24/02/09
      30.   Javier Lobo- Think outside the box 04:16  |  Arnold 24/02/09
      31.   Iran should pay 04:38  |  utagawa 24/02/09
      32.   This is Disgusting 04:39  |  Al 24/02/09
      33.   You`ve got to be kidding! 04:54  |  Debi 24/02/09
      34.   us plans to pledge 04:58  |  Huseein 24/02/09
      35.   `U.S. plans to pledge $900 million for Gaza` 05:14  |  Fair-minded 24/02/09
      36.   US - pledge 3 billion to Palestine 06:02  |  Ivan Vanya 24/02/09
      37.   Blood money 07:02  |  John 24/02/09
      38.   Send it to: Swiss Bank account #.... 07:35  |  Baruch Gold 24/02/09
      39.   Does the present US Administration support terrorist ... 07:37  |  Jean Van Daem 24/02/09
      40.   Money for the Enemy 07:37  |  Baruch Gold 24/02/09
      41.   IRAN pays for Qassams let Iran pay for the consequences. 08:39  |  PETER SM 24/02/09
      42.   US tax payers shouldn`t be footing this bill... 09:08  |  Dutch 24/02/09
      43.   #41 PETER SM; great idea indeed 17:53  |  Ricardo 24/02/09
      44.   Giving money for Gaza is like taking a bucket with a hole in it 22:30  |  glenna 24/02/09
      45.   Rebuild it so they can continue to rule their nation in terror?? 00:15  |  Nitai 25/02/09
      46.   No rockets 03:35  |  Chris 26/02/09
      47.   Aid to Gaza 08:47  |  Optimist 26/02/09
      48.   DONATING ANOTHER 900M TO ISRAEL? 07:41  |  Marsha MacHardy 01/03/09
      49.   Dough for Murderers R US 09:52  |  jack sprat 01/03/09
      50.   You are wrong 06:37  |  bbbb 03/03/09
      51.   If Americans Only Had A Voice To Where Their Money Goes 23:02  |  G. Don 05/03/09
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