Hamas police 'seized Gazan aid'

Hamas policemen have seized thousands of blankets and food parcels that were meant to be distributed to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, UN officials say.

A UN spokesman said policemen raided a UN warehouse on Tuesday after officials refused to hand over the aid to a Hamas-controlled ministry.

The UN said it was the first time its aid had been confiscated by Hamas.

It condemned the action and demanded the goods be immediately returned. There has been no comment by Hamas.

UN spokesman Christopher Gunness said Hamas police took 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels.

About half the population in the Gaza Strip are dependent on UN food aid, since Israel imposed a blockade on the territory 19 months ago.

The UN's relief agency said it has distributed more than 50,000 blankets and more than 12,000 food parcels.

Reconstruction plan

Aid delivery became increasingly difficult during Israel's offensive against Hamas which began in late December.

The UN said it has increased its food distribution to cover 900,000 of Gaza's population of 1.5 million.

However, the UN, along with most of the western world, does not deal directly with the Islamist Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the government of the Palestinian Authority has announced $600m (£417m) for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the programme would cover all Palestinian houses destroyed or damaged during Israel's 22-day offensive in December and January.

"The amount of the project is $600 million. Most of it will come from donors," Mr Fayyad said in a speech in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Further details would be announced later, he added.

Initial Palestinian estimates said rebuilding would cost $2bn (£1.4bn) and take three to five years.

Ugh...fuckers. Wait to represent the needs of your people. Who needs enemies when the Palestinians have Hamas on their side? Despicable.