Egypt to hold donor conference for Gaza reconstruction: Fatah

By Mohammad Ghefari

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Egypt is seeking to hold an international donor conference for the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip, according to a senior member of Palestinian group Fatah.

"An international donor conference will be held upon an invitation from Egypt,” Azzam al-Ahmed, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, told Anadolu Agency.

He, however, said the date of the planned conference has not yet been set.

“The Palestinian Authority has already started to assess the cost of damage caused by the Israeli aggression on Gaza,” al-Ahmad said.

On Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Ramallah with Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel for talks on a cease-fire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel and the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory. The visit came as Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials.

"Talks between Abbas and Kamel dwelt on solidifying the cease-fire in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, including ending the eviction of [Palestinian] families from the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods," al-Ahmad said.

An Egyptian-brokered truce that took effect in the early hours of May 21 ended Israel’s 11-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli attacks in Gaza and the West Bank killed at least 289 people, including women and children, and left behind a trail of destruction. Health centers and media offices as well as schools were among the structures targeted.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara