Qatar to Build 1,000 Homes for Gaza Displaced

Qatar on Tuesday launched a project to build 1,000 homes in the Gaza Strip to house Palestinians displaced by last summer's war between Hamas and Israel.

The Gulf state, which hosts the exiled leadership of Gaza's Islamist rulers, was the largest single donor at an October conference in Cairo to raise funds to help rebuild the blockaded territory.

"Qatar made a pledge at the donors conference. Today we are putting that into effect, by beginning construction of 1,000 housing units," the head of the Qatari project, Mohammed al-Emadim, said at a news conference in Gaza City.

He did not specify where in the densely populated coastal enclave the homes would be built.

Qatar pledged $1 billion at the conference, almost a fifth of the total $5.4 billion promised in international aid.

Last year's conflict in July and August killed about 2,200 Palestinians and also left 100,000 homeless, according to the United Nations.

The U.N. last month slammed the international community for failing to make good on its promises of aid, warning of another conflict unless Gaza was rehabilitated quickly.