International Donors' Pledge of $5.4 Billion to Rebuild Gaza Risky?
At an international conference in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday donors pledged $5.4 billion for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip, which recently suffered devastation in its conflict with Israel. But an obvious question was not addressed: will there be any supervision to ensure that the money reaches the people and not Hamas?
Of the donors who pledged to give money at the one-day Gaza Donor Conference, Qatar emerged as the biggest contributor with a $1 billion pledge, according to The Associated Press.
Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates pledged $200 million each, while the United States has promised to donate $212 million.
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About 18,000 homes and vital infrastructure were destroyed in the recent war between Israel and Hamas, according to estimates. More than 1,900 Palestinians died in the fighting, and Israel lost at least 64 soldiers and three civilians.
"While the Palestinian people need financial support, they need more political support from the international community," Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah was quoted as saying. "A just peace is the only real guarantee for not destroying what we are about to rebuild and reconstruct."
Qatar supports Hamas, among other Islamist groups, in Gaza.
"The message was clear to the international community that the Palestinian brothers are not alone," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri was quoted as saying at a press conference.
However, Egypt as well as most other nations said that efforts to rebuild Gaza cannot succeed until a lasting solution to the conflict is reached.
According to Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende, only half of the amount pledged would be used for the rehabilitation.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said there was a need for a renewed commitment to achieving Middle East peace. He added that it was possible to have a lasting deal between Israel, the Palestinians and all their neighbors.
"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," Kerry told the meeting in Cairo, according to Reuters. "And I promise you the full commitment of President (Barack) Obama, myself and the United States to try to do that."
What was compelling about a two-state solution a year ago is even more compelling today, Kerry stated without offering any specifics.
Yuli Edelstein, the speaker of Knesset, the unicameral national legislature of Israel, meanwhile, raised the issue of the need for supervision in how the money is spent.
"The damage coming from a lack of supervision is double. Nothing will reach the population [without supervision] and Hamas's temptation to start a new round of violence once it strengthens itself will be great, so all of the money invested in rehabilitation will go down the drain," Edelstein told Israel Radio Sunday, according to Jerusalem Post.
Edelstein also said that Israel should have been invited to Sunday's conference in Cairo, which was held with the help of Norway and represented by 50 countries and 20 international organizations along with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.
"Anytime a missile is shot or a tunnel is dug, not only will Israel be hurt – though they won't care about that as much – they should think about how many toys and medicines won't be able to reach the children of Gaza," he stated. "I hope they realize that if they don't want to pay [for rehabilitation] over and over again, they should supervise [the use of their donations]."
Israel began its attack in Gaza on July 8 following an increase in cross-border rocket strikes by Hamas militants. The Israeli military also identified at least 32 fortified tunnels made by Hamas, and 11 of them are deep beneath the border and lead into Israel's territory. Israel destroyed at least 30 of those tunnels during the 2014 war, also known as the 50-day Operation Protective Edge.
Edelstein also pointed out the tone of Abbas' speech at Sunday's conference. He "didn't deal with rehabilitation, but was full of accusations and demands to end the 'occupation,'" Edelstein said. "What he calls 'ending the occupation' already happened in the Gaza Strip in August 2005. Since then, there aren't Israeli soldiers or Israeli residents.
