Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to announce a "substantial" pledge of U.S. aid for Gaza and the Palestinian Authority at a donors' meeting in Egypt next week, Reuters quoted a State Department official as saying today. The official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the U.S. Congress still must approve the money and a final figure had not been set, but it could run into hundreds of millions of dollars. "The United States will announce a substantial pledge of humanitarian assistance and support for the Palestinian Authority," said the official. The March 2 donors conference in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort aims to raise humanitarian and rebuilding funds for Gaza after Israel's invasion at the end of last year, which killed 1,300 Palestinians.
