Kerry calls for new peace effort as Gaza rebuild talks raise $5bn

US secretary of state John Kerry yesterday called for a renewed commitment to achieving Middle East peace, saying a lasting deal between Israel, the Palestinians and all their neighbours was possible.

But prospects for a renewed peace process appeared dim as Mr Kerry offered no specifics on how to restart negotiations in his speech to a Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo that raised more than $5 billion (about €4 billion) in aid.

The last round of US-brokered peace talks foundered in April over Israeli objections to a Palestinian political unity pact that included the Islamist Hamas movement and over Palestinian opposition to Israeli settlement expansion.

Renewed commitment

“Out of this conference must come not just money but a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians, for all people of this region,” Mr Kerry told the meeting.

“And I promise you the full commitment of President [Barack] Obama, myself and the United States to try to do that,” he said.

At the conference Mr Kerry also announced an additional $212 million in US aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which was badly damaged during a conflict with Israel in July and August in which 2,100 Palestinians died, most of them civilians.

An estimated 18,000 homes and vital infrastructure were destroyed in the seven-week war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas.

The Palestinians have put the cost of reconstruction at about $4 billion and Norway’s foreign minister Borge Brende said the conference had secured $5.4 billion in aid, half of which would be used for rebuilding.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said Ireland would provide an additional €2.5 million towards "both urgent immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts" in Gaza.

‘Dire’

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire and it is clear that significant resources will be required to meet both immediate needs and longer term recovery assistance and reconstruction,” said Mr Flanagan.

He called on international donors at the Cairo conference to “commit themselves genuinely to this process and to avoid all actions which might impede the prospects for peace. ”

Ireland initially pledged €500,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) emergency appeal in July.

The Irish government has now pledged an extra €500,000 to the UNRWA for immediate humanitarian support, while €2 million will be provided to the Palestinian Authority and UN partners for long-term recovery assistance.

Dozens of countries are attending the Cairo meeting. The Palestinian Authority hopes that moves by a new unity government towards assuming control in Hamas-dominated Gaza could make wealthy donor states less wary of providing reconstruction aid.

Among countries offering reconstruction aid for Gaza, Qatar offered $1 billion, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates promised $200 million each and Turkey pledged $200 million.

Qatar's relations with Egypt have been strained since then army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year.

Ties to Hamas

The small but ambitious Gulf Arab state’s close ties to Hamas, an offshoot of the Brotherhood, also angered Egypt, which is influential across the Arab world. Israel and the United States consider Hamas a terrorist organisation.

When journalists were allowed in briefly for the start of one-on-one talks in a Cairo suburb, Mr Kerry was overheard asking Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas: "Did you hear about Qatar?" presumably referring to the $1 billion pledge.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said pledges from member states would reach €450 million.

France said it would contribute €40 million to the Palestinians and Germany offered €50 million. Britain’s ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, told Reuters London would provide $32 million for the reconstruction efforts.– (Reuters)