Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Saturday said that international aid have to go through the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in coordination with international organizations.
Abbas told a joint news conference with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana that the PNA should lead the post-war reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip days before a major international donors ' conference to be held in Egypt.
"We expect quick international aid from all parties to completely rebuild the Gaza Strip," Abbas told reporters following a meeting with Solana, who is on a visit to the war-hit Gaza Strip and pledged a European aid to rebuild the enclave.
Israel's army waged a 22-day military offensive on the Gaza Strip that ended on Jan. 18, killing over 1,300 people and destroying thousands of houses, government buildings and infrastructures.
"We also expect that as in the past there will be one mechanism, the Palestinian National Authority," he said.
The Gaza Strip is ruled by Hamas since it routed Abbas' security forces in June 2007.
Egypt has been exerting reconciliation efforts to bring both Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas to a national dialogue aimed to form a national unity government to handle Gaza reconstruction.
The PNA in the West Bank and the Hamas-run government in Gaza have each insisted on leading the rebuilding effort, but Western countries, which consider Hamas as a terror group, have said they will only work with Abbas.
"I would like to insist in agreement with the president that the mechanism used to deploy the money is the one that represents the Palestinian (National) Authority," Solana told reporters. "I don't think there is a need for new mechanisms."
Acting Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said in an official report that it will request 2.8 billion U.S. dollars at the March 2 meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, which is expected to draw representatives from more than 70 countries.
"I hope that there will be a good conference in Sharm El-Sheikh and it will give good results," said Solana, adding "the conference will not be only for economical support, but it will be also political."
Meanwhile, Solana reiterated that European inspectors are ready anytime to get back to work at Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt "once an agreement to operate it is reached."
(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2009)