Gaza aid troubled by logistics

By Alastair Sharp

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - Palestinians hoping to raise $2.8 billion (1.9 billion pounds) to rebuild Gaza at a conference in Egypt on Monday will find the path to reconstruction blocked by political and logistical factors, relief agencies say.

Egypt, which called for the gathering soon after Israel halted its Gaza offensive in January, says leaders from some 70 countries will attend including the presidents of France and Italy, and foreign ministers from Britain and the United States.

But the Islamist Hamas movement which runs Gaza is not invited. Donors will seek to ensure no money reaches the group, and there is no guarantee that Gaza's borders will be opened to let sufficient supplies flow in.

Israel's 22-day assault on Gaza, which it said aimed to suppress Palestinian cross-border rocket fire, killed more than 1,300 Palestinian and destroyed or damaged thousands of buildings across the coastal enclave.

More than a month after Israel and Hamas announced separate ceasefires, little long-term reconstruction has taken place and the aid is barely enough to keep residents fed and temporarily housed, the agencies said.

"At the moment we are not getting in anywhere near the amount of aid that we need," said Juliette Seibold, policy and advocacy adviser for CARE International.

"The work we are doing is very much focussed on helping people tread water until the real assistance arrives," she said.

Some 15,000 houses were damaged or destroyed in the three-week offensive, according to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which will present a recovery plan to the conference.