The people of Gaza do need our help, desperately, not tomorrow, not next week, they need it now.
Cairo (ANTARA News) - Washington called Sunday for renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians as a donor conference pledged millions for rebuilding the ruin left by this summers conflict in Gaza.

The United States and European Union member states made substantial pledges of new aid at the conference in Cairo, but expressed wariness of financing the reconstruction of Gaza without a peace deal in sight.

The crowded coastal enclave, ruled by the Islamist militant Hamas movement since 2007, remained a "tinderbox," UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned at the conference.

Washington promised $212 million (168 million euros) in new aid, to meet what Secretary of State John Kerry described as an "enormous" challenge in Gaza.

Kerry, who failed to broker a peace deal earlier this year, urged renewed talks and said the Palestinians and Israelis needed to make "tough choices". The call was echoed by Arab and European envoys.

"The people of Gaza do need our help, desperately, not tomorrow, not next week, they need it now," Kerry told the gathering of some 30 global envoys.

The Palestinians asked for up to $4 billion in international aid after Gaza was devastated in its 50-day conflict with Israel in July and August.

European Union member states will contribute a total of 450 million euros to Gaza, the blocs foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

There is widespread concern that -- after three destructive conflicts in the past six years -- any help to Gaza will eventually be lost in more violence.

Ban expressed the fears of many when he told the conference the situation in Gaza remained potentially explosive.

"Gaza remains a tinderbox, the people desperately need to see results in their daily lives," Ban said.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said donor countries were "suffering fatigue" in the absence of a peace deal.

"Many countries who have been generous in their support for the Palestinians are indeed suffering from donors fatigue, and they are right," he said, referring to repeated conflicts in Gaza.

The Palestinian government unveiled a 76-page reconstruction plan ahead of the conference, with the lions share of assistance to build housing.

"Gaza has suffered three wars in six years. Entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed," Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told the conference.

(T008)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
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