Int´l donors pledge $4.5 bln for Gaza reconstruction

Senior officials and representatives from over 70 countries and15 international organizations attended the conference to plan the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) shakes hands with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana during the international donors' conference to plan the reconstruction of the Palestinian Gaza Strip, in Sharm El-Sheikh of Egypt, March 2, 2009. Officials and  representatives from more than 70 countries and some 15 organizations attended the conference kicked off Monday morning. (Xinhua/Zhang Ning)

UN Secratary-General Ban Ki-moon, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, among other officials and delegates, attended the meeting opened by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The Israeli attacks against Gaza that ended on Jan. 18, had killed more than 1,300 Palestinians and wounded 5,500 others. According to UN reports, the attacks also destroyed more than 14,000 homes, 68 government buildings and 31 offices of nongovernmental organizations.