United Nations – The UN warned that violence could once more break out between Israel and Hamas unless donor countries fulfilled the monetary pledges they made in Cairo in October to help rebuild Gaza.
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In that conference $5.4 billion was pledged for the Palestinians, about half of which was earmarked for Gaza.
“Four months after the Cairo Conference, donors have yet to fulfill the vast majority of their pledges,” the UN’s Under Secretary for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council in New York on Wednesday.
“This is frankly unacceptable, and cannot continue if we hope to avoid another escalation in Gaza,” Feltman said.
“We see the circumstances in Gaza as becoming increasingly worrisome as we approach the six-month mark since the end of last summer’s conflict,” he said.
He spoke of other problematic issues with respect to continued calm in Gaza. There are continued restrictions with regard to goods and people at the two Israeli crossing into Gaza and the Rafah passageway from Gaza into Egypt remains closed, he said.
He called on Egypt to re-open Rafah noting that 1,400 patients and 15,000 people were waiting to cross. A permanent cease-fire agreement is needed between Israel and Hamas, he said. The Palestinian factions have yet to reunify, he explained. But the most pressing need in the aftermath of last summer’s conflict between Hamas and Israel is the reconstruction of Gaza, which is moving slowly due to lack of funds, Feltman said.
“The combination of the failure to rectify the persistent governance and security issues and the slow pace of reconstruction has created an increasingly toxic environment,” Feltman said.
“A key component of reversing these negative trends is implementation of the financial commitments made by donors at the Cairo conference. Failure to deliver the necessary support is putting an almost unbearable strain on an already highly fractious environment,” he added.
Thanks to the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, he said, some construction work has moved progressed in Gaza. “Over 47,000 have already procured construction material to date,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority, he said, has also approved 18 of 50 construction projects for homes, schools and water.
Turning to the issue of the PA, Feltman also warned that the Palestinian fiscal crisis was not sustainable. The Israeli government has withheld over $200 million in tax revenues it collects on their behalf to protest the Palestinian decision to join the International Criminal Court, Feltman said. Withholding those funds is a violation of the Paris Protocol of the Oslo Accords, he said. The Palestinian Authority has borrowed funds from private banks to pay civil servant salaries, he said.
According to a January report by the International Monetary Fund Palestinian economic activity contracted in 2014 for the first time since 2006, he said.
The Quartet principles met on February 8 in Munich where they called for the revival of the peace process and the acceleration of reconstruction in Gaza, he said.
Feltman added that he hoped the international community through the Quartet could help the parties return to negotiations. Establishing a framework for that peace must be a priority, he said.
“The Secretary-General is determined that the UN will continue to play an active role in supporting these efforts,” he said.
Big Deal. What’s a little blackmail compared to beheading innocents?
Blame Israel, you anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-Jewish hypocrites! Israel should first deduct the costs incurred from the terror that Gaza-Hamas inflicted on Israel. Then if there’s anything left, let then protest to the UN, and we’ll see. By any chance, is there money from the UN to compensate Israel for its losses during the decade of terror and the war costs? Or does the UN only take from Israel, and only give to the terrorists?
Does the UN agree with Obama and other imbeciles in the White House that terrorists should be offered jobs? Anyone want to hire some Hamas, ISIS, Hezbollah “militants”?
So the hamas starts a war with israel and sustains major losses and then goes begging for aid to rebuild from the world?.In other words the world should finance all of the wars that hamas loses Perhaps israel should finance all of the school and job training that those destructive lazy bums need to live a productive life
Bs’d. Let’s call that renewed violence if they DO honor their pledges.
so they need more money for tunnels, Barack how come you are not helping your brothers?
These threats are disgusting. Let their own Oil-rich wealthy Brethren support them, not us! How dare this anti Semitic fool go crying about their situation which they brought on themselves! Maybe they shouldn’t have voted into power a terror group who held them into a terror war! They don’t resort to,violence because of poverty! They resort to it because of their blood-thirsty jealousy, and greed for everything Israel has. Is ISIS Y”s terrorizing because they’re poor? Idiots !
The UN continues to enable and promote the refugee/beggar status of those Arabs living in PLO controlled areas. Really,why doesn’t any one ask what’s happened to all the billions already poured in to help these people.