Donors pledge $4.5bn for Palestinians

By Heba Saleh in Sharm El Sheikh
Published: March 2 2009 14:24 Last updated: March 2 2009 23:20

International donors at a conference in Egypt pledged $4.48bn over two years to support the Palestinian economy and rebuild Gaza after the Israeli offensive, but made clear none of the funds should end up in the hands of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the territory.
In her first trip to the region since her appointment as US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton said urgent action was needed to break the cycle of violence and move towards a peace settlement between Israel and the Palestinians..
“The United States is prepared to engage in aggressive diplomacy with all sides in pursuit of a comprehensive settlement that brings peace and security to Israel, the Palestinians and their Arab neighbours,” said Mrs Clinton.
Mrs Clinton pledged $900m (€714m, £643m) of aid for the Palestinians of which $300m was earmarked for urgent humanitarian relief to Gaza. The aid includes budgetary, security and infrastructure support for the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, which was ousted from Gaza in 2007 by Hamas, the Islamist militant group.
Mrs Clinton stressed that the US had worked with the PA to put in place safeguards to ensure that the funds did not fall into “the wrong hands” – a reference to Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by the US.
The European Union said it would give $554m and there were pledges from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries totalling $1.65bn.

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I can't believe tax dollars are going to these 9/11 celebrating assholes. Let the Ummah pay.