Qatar And Egypt Agree On The Supply Of Fuel And Building Materials For The Gaza Strip

Illustration of a fuel truck allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, Palestine. (Twitter/@ShehabAgency)

JAKARTA - Qatar and Egypt signed an agreement to supply fuel and basic building materials to the Gaza Strip, Palestine, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

The announcement was made in Oslo, Norway by Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, Qatar's foreign minister, during a ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestine.

"Muraikhi stressed that this joint collaborative effort will contribute to the improvement of living conditions (in Gaza)," said a statement by Qatar's Foreign Ministry, citing Reuters on November 18.

About 2.200 homes in the enclave were destroyed and 37.000 others damaged during the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in May, the Hamas-run Gaza government said.

Meanwhile, several houses in Israel were damaged by rockets launched by the Islamic organization Hamas and other Gaza militant groups.

Palestinian officials say 250 people, including 66 children, were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Israeli officials say 13 people, including two children, were killed in Israel by militant rockets.

Following the May 21 ceasefire, which was mediated by Egypt, access to reconstruction funds and materials has become a key demand of Hamas. Israel restricts building materials entering the area, saying Hamas uses it to make weapons to carry out attacks.

However, following agreements with the UN and Qatar, Israel allowed financial aid from the Gulf state to enter Gaza, Palestine.

To note, Gaza Strip officials estimate it will take $479 million to rebuild homes and infrastructure damaged in the fighting in May. Qatar and Egypt have each pledged $500 million for the reconstruction of Gaza.