An international conference on the reconstruction of Gaza began on Monday near London, attended by representatives from Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, and international donors, according to the British government.
The three-day meeting is being held discreetly at Wilton Park, while a Gaza peace summit takes place in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
A statement from Downing Street said the conference brings together “various international partners” including Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, along with private sector actors and major international donors such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.
The aim of the conference is to coordinate and plan reconstruction efforts in Gaza for the post-conflict period. The rebuilding process will be “led by the Palestinians.”
“We are aware of the scale of the task. We know how urgent and complex the reconstruction is,” Hamish Falconer, Britain’s Minister of State for the Middle East, said as the meeting began.
