The Palestinians hope to raise $2.8 billion (€2.18 billion) at an international conference next month on repairing damage to the Gaza Strip from Israel's offensive, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said today.
Previous rough estimates put the cost of recovery for Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas, at some €1.56 billion, but Fayyad said tabulations for the higher figure would be presented at a March 2nd meeting at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
"We have prepared a conclusive document which will include all that is needed in order to reconstruct and revitalize the Palestinian economy in the Gaza Strip," he told reporters.
"This document will be the basis for donors in order to pledge their monetary compensation and commitments."
But presenting a target figure to donors will be only the first step in a lengthy process before any new buildings and roads start to go up in the blockaded coastal enclave.
There is likely to be a political tug-of-war over who distributes funds.
Israel, which says it wants to prevent Hamas from rearming, maintains a direct veto at Gaza's border crossing points on what may and may not be imported.
Gazans favour buildings of reinforced concrete. Cement and steel rods are on Israel's list of banned or restricted goods.
The United States said yesterday it would offer more than €703 million to help rebuild Gaza and bolster the Western-backed Palestinian Authority of Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah faction was driven out of Gaza by Hamas in 2007.
The United States and other major Western powers shun Hamas, which is formally committed to the destruction of Israel.
Washington wants the Palestinian Authority to play a central role in the reconstruction effort in Gaza, and is also putting pressure on other donors to bolster Mr Abbas, who is vying with Hamas for popularity as he seeks a peace accord with Israel.
Israel went to war in Gaza on December 27th with the declared aim of stemming cross-border rocket attacks by Hamas and other armed factions. Some 1,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians, and 13 Israelis were killed in the three weeks of fighting.
Reuters