CAIRO, Oct 12 (Aswat Masriya) - The Palestinian Gaza strip needs $4 million to be reconstructed after the damage caused by the latest Israeli offensive on the strip in July and August, Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday.
Abbas spoke during the Gaza reconstruction conference co-hosted by Egypt and Norway in Cairo to raise funds for the strip's reconstruction, after the 50-day offensive destroyed most of its infrastructure.
The Palestinian president stressed he hoped there would have been no need for such a conference, adding that such would have been the case if the peace treaties previously agreed upon had succeeded.
"Asking for reconstruction every two years in no longer acceptable," Abbas said.
The president provided a summary of the losses suffered due to the outbreak of three wars in Gaza between the strip's ruling Hamas and Israel since 2009.
The wars have left 3760 people killed and 18,100 injured, including 2145 and 11,200 in the most recent war alone, respectively.
"Over 90 families are no longer counted among the population," Abbas said.
The president added that Gaza's three wars have also left 80 thousand houses and institutions destroyed, including 61,800 during this summer's war. He said that some houses destroyed during the 2009 war still remain in need of reconstruction.
Hundreds of thousands of survivors became refugees, Abbas also said, reminding that they need temporary housing until their houses are reconstructed.
The Palestinian Authority had earlier estimated the cost of rebuilding 17,000 homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment at $2.5 billion, adding that the energy sector will require $250 million after the only power plant in Gaza was destroyed by Israeli missiles.
A long-term truce was announced by Egypt and welcomed by Israel and the Palestinians on August 26, ending a 50 day war that has left over 2100 Palestinians killed. On the Israeli side sixty-four soldiers and six civilians were killed.
During the conference, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addressed the Israeli government and people, saying "it's time to end the struggle."