Reconstruction conference held in Gaza

An international conference has been held in Gaza to discuss reconstruction efforts, two years after Israeli strikes reduced large parts of the coastal sliver to rubble.

Addressing the conference on Sunday, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that his government will soon launch a reconstruction project using available funds.

But his remarks may sound too optimistic as Israel still allows a limited amount of construction material to enter the territory, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Israel launched a devastating war codenamed “Operation Cast Lead” on the coastal sliver in December 2008, which destroyed thousands of homes, hundreds of factories and 80 official buildings in the strip and inflicted $1.6 billion in damage to the Gaza’s economy.

More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli land, sea and air attack in the impoverished area.

In March 2009, international donors pledged more than $4.5 billion to rebuild houses and infrastructure that was destroyed in the three-week war, but up until now none of that money has been forthcoming.

Meanwhile, former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who visited Gaza earlier this month, told the audience via a recorded video message that Gaza must be rebuilt.

The Hamas ministry of public works says that politicizing the rebuilding process is preventing money from reaching Gaza.

A report issued by the United Nations late last year said at the current rate it would take decades to carry out its housing and schools projects in the strip due to the crippling Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Experts believe Gazans will not be able to rebuild their houses unless the international community urges Israel to fully lift the blockade and allow construction materials into the coastal enclave.