Abul Gheit and Clinton
Photo: AP
Clinton confirms will attend Gaza aid conference
'I will go to Cairo next week to a conference sponsored by Egyptians to try to get humanitarian aid to Gazans,' US secretary of state says; more than 70 countries expected to attend
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed Thursday she will attend an international conference next month in Egypt to help rebuild Gaza after the Hamas-Israel war.
"I will go to Cairo next week to a conference sponsored by the Egyptians to try to get humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," Clinton told the news media during a visit to Indonesia.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said last week that Clinton would attend the March 2 conference but there had been no confirmation from the US State Department.
Cairo has been mediating a truce in Gaza after Hamas and Israel declared on January 18 their own ceasefires to a devastating 22-day war in the densely populated coastal enclave that killed more than 1,300 Palestinians.
More than 70 countries are expected at the meeting, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the international body plans to launch a 613-billion-dollar funding drive to help the people of Gaza.
