Cairo will host an international conference on March 2 on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, estimated at $2 billion after Israel's 22-day offensive, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Friday, Reuters reported. "The conference will focus on the requirements of rebuilding in Gaza, ways to do so, and the gathering of necessary funds," a foreign ministry statement said, adding that the meeting would be held on the level of foreign ministers. The meeting, to be held in coordination with the Palestinian Authority, would also deal with urgent humanitarian support. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged Europe on Sunday to help with fast aid for Gaza, and said a reconstruction conference would require damage assessments and the support of the European Union, the United Nations and others. Preliminary estimates put the damage in Gaza after Israel's offensive, which killed 1,300 Palestinians, at nearly $2 billion. The Cairo reconstruction talks will come shortly after the Feb. 22 date proposed for the start of an Egyptian-sponsored dialogue between Palestinian groups.
