The International Conference to Rebuild and develop Palestine, with the presence of a big delegation of Palestinian contractors who came from Gaza ended its events in Amman yesterday.

The delegation of The Palestinian Contractors Union that consisted of a number of prominent figures, and included a big number of Palestinan businessmen, in addition to some Palestinian officials,representatives of public institutions, and some journalists.

The conference focused on the importance of the role played by Jordan and Jordanian companies in rebuilding Palestine, with participation of representatives of the quartet ,the EU, the Arab League, and the World Bank.

Also, some international organizations like the United Nations (UN), participated in this conference, through its agencies,as well as Arab organizations like the Islamic Bank for Development , the Arab Fund, in addition to ambassadors of Arab and foreign countries in Jordan and Palestine.

The president of the Palestinian Contractors Union Ossama Khaheel said that : the conference contributed in boosting the Arab cooperation for building Gaza through seeking to replace the construction materials imported from Israel, and bring materials from Arab countries.

Khaheel added that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank need to build 120 thousand apartment, in addition to rebuilding the infrastructure of Gaza that was destroyed by the last Israeli war.

Khaheel also expressed hope to enhance the Arab cooperation in the field of construction, stressing that this conference would be a good opportunity for the Palestinian contractors to discuss their issues and to agree on suitable mechanism to activate the Arab cooperation.

The conference that was attended by significant participation from different Arab countries, during four days, discussed various issues of concern for the construction sector in Palestine by donors funds, Arab cooperation, and through leveraging from the best ways to use developed expertise in this field.

International donors had pledged almost $4.5bn (£3.2bn) in aid to the Palestinians, chiefly to rebuild Gaza , in early March 2009, just after Israel's recent war on the coastal enclave.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at that time, said Washington would donate $900m, and vigorously seek to advance peace,as well as the $900m promised by the US, Saudi Arabia pledged $1bn (£703m) for Gaza.

Israeli authorities are still refusing to allow building materials into Gaza for reconstruction, with its ongoing oppressive siege being imposed on the strip for the fifth consecutive year.

Building and raw materials are deemed by Israeli authorities to be useful to militants as well as for civilians have been banned.

Aid workers say items turned away at the border have included macaroni, lentils, paper and school books.

UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon, aftermath the war on Gaza, described the situation at the crossings as "intolerable".

"Aid workers do not have access. Essential commodities cannot get in. Our first and indispensable goal, therefore, is open crossings," Mr.Ban added.

AB.