Effort to Raise $3 Billion for Palestinians in Post-Israel Gaza - NYTimes

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Effort to Raise $3 Billion for Palestinians in Post-Israel Gaza
By STEVEN R. WEISMAN

WASHINGTON, June 16 - The Bush administration is working with James D. Wolfensohn, the former World Bank president, and with Palestinian, other Arab and European leaders to assemble a large new international aid package for Palestinian areas after Israel's disengagement from Gaza, American and other officials said Thursday.

The package, which some officials said could approach $3 billion over three years, would supplement roughly $1 billion a year already given by the United States and others for the Palestinian Authority. It would be for specific projects in Gaza, including a seaport, border crossings and other infrastructure.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who leaves for Israel on Friday, is expected to discuss the package on her tour of the Middle East and then work with Mr. Wolfensohn to present the proposal to foreign ministers of the leading industrial nations when they meet in London in a week.

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Mr. Wolfensohn has been shuttling back and forth to the Middle East to try to bridge differences between Israel and the Palestinians on a range of logistical matters relating to the withdrawal. Among them are disputes over the construction of crossings and the disposition of Israeli-owned homes, greenhouses and other assets in Gaza.

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Ms. Rice said "This will be very much focused on the preparations for the Gaza withdrawal, ..."