Gaza reconstruction likely to take long time

Special report:

Palestine-IsraelConflicts

by Husam Hamdan, Hua Chunyu

RAMALLAH, Jan. 27 (Chinese media) -- Palestinians in the

battered Gaza Strip are suffering from new threats related to the reconstruction

of their demolished homes, following Israel's 22-day war on the coastal strip.

Some Palestinian politicians have revealed that the

homeless Gazans will probably have to wait until rival Palestinian factions

reach an agreement on national reconciliation to begin to rebuild new homes.

Director of the Ramallah Center for Human Rights

Iyyad Barghouti told Chinese media the politicians' debates on reconstruction clearly

indicated that the rebuilding process will remain suspended until the seemingly

unattainable Palestinian unity is achieved.

Until now, no sign is shown that the Palestinian

political parties are ready to reach such a unity agreement, nor any kind of

coordination on the rebuilding issue.

Analysts said Gaza reconstruction faces many

difficulties. Although Arab states and the international community has declared

their readiness for funding the reconstruction, it is still not easy for the

Palestinians to take even the first step of the rebuilding.

Saudi Arabia has promised a large amount (1 billion

U.S. dollars) of aid for Gaza reconstruction, but questions were soon raised by

the Palestinian officials regarding who should be responsible for leading the

rebuilding operation -- Gaza ruler Hamas or the Palestinian National Authority

which holds sway in the West Bank.

Hamas bloodily overran the Fatah-dominated PNA out of

Gaza in June 2007, a move that granted the Islamic movement sole control of the

coastal enclave.

Prime Minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian

interim government Salam Fayyad said any funds for Gaza "would reach the

Palestinians only via the official channel," referring to the PNA and the

interim government appointed by PNA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

"Solving Gaza issue without the involvement of the

PNA will keep the Palestinians divided and destroy the Palestinian leadership,"

said Fayyad, who expected rival factions "to form a Palestinian unity government

to be responsible for rebuilding Gaza."

But the plan met challenges from Hamas, which was the

target of massive Israeli assault on Gaza killing over 1,400 Palestinians and

wounded 5,500 others.

Khaled Meshaal, exiled Hamas leader in Syria, has

called on the international community and the Arab states to form committees to

implement and observe any project in Gaza reconstruction, warning the donors not

to hand over their money to the PNA.

Meanwhile, the international society is calling the

Palestinians to achieve national unity before starting the reconstruction

process.

Tony Blair, envoy of the international Quartet for

the Middle East issue, said after meeting with Fayyad on Sunday that the

international community was trying to push the Palestinians to form a national

unity government capable of implementing the reconstruction process in a

practical and effective way.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has

said during his visit to Ramallah recently that the international community will

provide all the necessary for the Palestinians, "but the Palestinians must

complete internal unity."

Analysts said the current split among Palestinians

and the international society would probably put the homeless Palestinians in

Gaza on a "waiting list."

"Any Palestinian unity government will have to

recognize Israel and Hamas will not do that," said Iyyad Barghouti, adding that

achieving the Palestinian national unity will take a long time.