Considering Gaza's Future

International communities join hands to pledge funds to help rebuild Gaza, but many say money alone won’t solve the crisis.

Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching Newsy.com.

World leaders met in Egypt Monday to raise 2.8 billion U.S. dollars for reconstruction and recovery in the Gaza strip.

We’re tracking coverage from Al Jazeera English, CNN, Haaretz, The New York Times and Forbes.

First, Al Jazeera English takes us to witness the critical situation in Gaza. It reports an Israeli blockade on Gaza is preventing materials of reconstruction from getting in.

“Israel’s 22-day offensive on the Gaza strip left the trail of destruction from school to government buildings to homes -- all turned into rubbles. ... 90 percent of the water is undrinkable, so damaged is the main sewage plant. Their raw sewage just poured into the Mediterranean Sea.” (Al Jazeera English)

CNN brings us a Gazan’s perspective on the international pledge. A resident in Northern Gaza says he doesn’t believe the conference in Egypt will yield any concrete results.

“... expects a lot of words and no actions. “They’ll say we’ve met today in Sharm El Sheik and sat together and drank Cola. And this one will say “I’ll pay 900 million and that 500 million and another a billion. Then we Palestinians will feel nothing. We’ll see nothing.” (CNN)

Israeli newspaper Haaretz focuses on Hamas’ absence from the donor’s conference Monday and highlights the group’s warning against the West.

“To bypass the legitimate Palestinian authorities in the Gaza Strip is a move in the wrong direction and it deliberately undermines the reconstruction.” - Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesperson (Haaretz)

The New York Times focuses on how Hamas is being looked at internationally.

“Several European countries are more open to dealing with the group, provided it becomes part of a so-called unity government with the Palestinian Authority. The United States and Israel, however, will not deal with Hamas, saying it is a terrorist organization bent on the destruction of Israel…” (The New York Times)

CNN highlights a view from the United Nations Development Program chief. He says the Israel-Gaza chronic conflict can’t be cured with a donation from the foreign countries alone.

“Gaza’s real problem is the ongoing conflict toward Israel. Until that is resolved, the cycle of reconstruction and destruction will continue. Only peace, and not a bandage of international aid dollars will heal this battered land.” (CNN)

Forbes has UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon’s perspective. Ki-Moon looks towards the future, stressing one key issue for peace in the region: Israel’s settlement expansion.

“Just as we need the Palestinians to address security issues … we need the Israelis to implement a genuine settlement freeze. Settlement expansion is illegal and unacceptable and does so much to undermine confidence in the political process throughout the Arab world.” (Forbes)

So what else could the international community do to help the war-torn region, apart from donations?

Please share your thoughts and check out links to our sources.

I’m Charlotte Bellis for Newsy.com.