Hamas official pans PA, Egypt for delayed Gaza reconstruction

Hamas criticized the Palestinian Authority on Sunday for delays in the rehabilitation of Gaza after the conflict in the Strip this summer.

“Reconstruction of Gaza is one of the most important tasks the PA should carry out according to the reconciliation agreement, but on the condition that there be no obstacles, physical or legal, to the entry of construction material,” said Cairo-based Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk in a statement, according to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency.

The statement emphasizes the ongoing tensions between the PA and Hamas, despite the creation of a national unity government.

Marzouk also criticized Cairo, asking “Why won’t Egypt finish what it has started and allow entry of construction material through its borders?”

The Hamas statement comes after an international donors conference in Cairo hosted by Egypt and Norway on Sunday pledged $5.4 billion to rebuild Gaza.

Donations mainly included $1 billion from Qatar, $212 million from the United States and 450 million euros from the European Union.

The first trucks with building supplies entered the Gaza Strip last week as reconstruction efforts commenced under joint United Nations-Palestinian Authority supervision.

Despite Israel’s exclusion from the conference, the US has said that Israel will have to play a role in Gaza’s reconstruction, and Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said shortly after the conference that rebuilding efforts would not be able to go forward without Israel’s consent.

Israel has insisted on guarantees that international aid will not be diverted to military ends by the Islamist movement Hamas, against which it fought a devastating 50-day war in July and August.

For his part, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas pledged transparency in the way the funds will be used, “in full coordination with UN agencies, donor countries and international financial institutions.”

Over 2,100 people were killed during the fighting in Gaza, according to Palestinian and and UN tallies, and 72 people killed in Israel. Israel says half of the dead were Hamas and other gunmen.

AFP contributed to this report.