The Government is to donate €2.5 million in aid for Gaza, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin confirmed today.
Mr Martin is attending the International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the Reconstruction of Gaza in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Speaking from the one-day conference, which was jointly organised by the governments of Norway and Egypt, the Minister said Israel’s three-week offensive in Gaza, during which 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed, was a “profound tragedy”.
“Repairing the physical and economic damage will absorb scarce resources and energies which should have been available for other work,” he said.
The Government provided €500,000 in immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza in January. In total, Ireland provided over €8.6 million in assistance to the Palestinians last year.
Mr Martin also called for a full investigation into the alleged use of white phosphorous and the targeting and shelling of UN facilities by Israeli forces.
Representatives from over 80 countries are attending the conference in Sharm-el-Sheikh, including French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Donors at the conference pledged over $4 billion to help the Palestinian economy and rebuild Gaza after Israel's offensive.
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