Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts      

    BRUSSELS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission announced Friday that it will pledge 436 million euros (566 million U.S. dollars) in aid to the Palestinians at an upcoming international donors' conference concerning the Gaza Strip.

    "Our priority today is to adequately respond to the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza. By offering a substantial aid package we confirm our generosity and commitment toward the Palestinians," said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy.

    Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who will attend the March 2 conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, said the pledge will be dedicated to humanitarian aid and early recovery of the Gaza Strip.

    However, Ferrero-Waldner pointed out that "the crucial problems at the moment are not related to funding but to access."

    "In the aftermath of the crisis, a clear priority remains the immediate and unconditional reopening of all Gaza crossings on a regular and predictable basis, for the flow of humanitarian and commercial goods as well as people," she said.

    The donors' conference, co-chaired by Egypt and Norway, will also be attended by, among others, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Seigei Lavrov, and Javier Solana, the EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy .

    The European Commission has supported preparation of the Palestinian Authority's Gaza Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, in cooperation with the UN and the World Bank. On the basis of that and its own assessment, the Commission will consider specific areas and projects for funding.

    The Commission's pledge for 2009 will be comparable to its pledge at the Paris Donors' Conference in December 2007 -- 440 million euros (572 million dollars) -- made available in full in 2008.