Of $5.4 billion pledged for Gaza, only a fraction delivered

[oberliner]

(Reuters) - Two months after donors pledged $5.4 billion to help rebuild Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian, U.N. and other officials say barely 2 percent of the money has been transferred.

The conference in Cairo had been hailed as a success, with Qatar promising $1 billion, Saudi Arabia $500 million and the United States and the European Union a combined $780 million in various forms of assistance.

Half was expected to go to rebuilding houses and infrastructure in Gaza destroyed during seven weeks of fighting, and the rest to support the Palestinian budget.

But of the total, only $100 million or so has been received, according to U.N. and other officials. While the EU and the United States have accelerated some funding that was already in the pipeline, very few new pledges have come to fruition.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/19/us-mideast-gaza-support-idUSKBN0JX0W320141219

[COLGATE4]

1. "Promise them anything, but give them Arpege". nt

[branford]

2. Promises to the Palestinians rarely materialize.

Why would now be any different.

The Palestinians are pawns, and Arab states and much of the European far left like to look good by making big promises as a sop to their constituencies. However, when it's time to sign the checks, the news cycle has moved on and they've already reaped the immediate benefit of their promises, so no money is provided.

Rinse and repeat. In fact, it may be getting worse for the Palestinians since Arab states are facing their own internal problems, they are deriving less income from oil revenues, and they are now focused on Iran and other Shiites rather than Zionists.

[hack89]

3. They don't want to fund Hamas tunnels and military infrastructure

can you blame them?

[leftynyc]

4. I suspect they aren't too keen

on those funds going to build more hamas tunnels. Who wants to trust a terrorist organization?

[Just for Fun]

5. Especially when reports of terror tunnels

Are resurfacing, and not in a good way.

Construction supplies diverted again.

All funds should be halted.