MOSCOW, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - The European Union will provide 450 million euros ($571 million) for Gaza reconstruction following a war between Israel and the Hamas militant group, the Union's foreign policy head Catherine Ashton stated Sunday.
"The only durable solution to the situation in Gaza, which is in everyone's interest, is a political one. Our efforts for Gaza will be successful only if placed in the larger framework of our support to Palestine and our commitment to the peace process," Ashton said during the Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo.
Earlier, the Palestinian authorities asked the international community for $4 billion to reconstruct Gaza.
In June, Israel launched a military operation against the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. According to UN data, the 50-day armed conflict claimed the lives of over 2,100 Palestinians and 71 Israelis. Palestinian authorities have estimated that over 60,000 residential buildings in Gaza were damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
In late August, the sides agreed on a truce mediated by the Egyptian government. The agreement envisaged Israel opening border crossings to allow humanitarian aid and construction materials to enter Gaza.
