Turkish Deputy PM Says Ankara Ready to Rebuild Gaza Strip Instead of UN

ANKARA, January 28 (Sputnik) – Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has denounced Wednesday the suspension of aid for Palestinian families in Gaza and expressed the country's readiness to rebuild the territory.

"This is double standard. If the UN won't do it, we will rebuild Gaza," Kurtulmus was quoted as saying by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation.

Kurtulmus added that Turkey had the necessary "political will and opportunities" to provide assistance to Palestinian families.

The statement comes in light of a decision by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to suspend, due to a lack of funds, its program of financial assistance for repairs to damaged and destroyed homes in Gaza. The agency received only $135 million in pledges, leaving a shortfall of $585 million, according to a statement from the UNRWA.

The Gaza Strip has been controlled by the Hamas movement since 2007 and has been involved in three wars against Israel. In July 2014, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas. The conflict claimed the lives of nearly 2,200 Palestinians and 71 Israelis, according to UN estimates.

The latest report by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, also known as B'Tselem, estimated that some 18,000 homes were damaged and over 100,000 Palestinians have been left homeless since July 2014.