In an address on May 7, Haniyeh said Egypt, Qatar and Saudi
Arabia were contributing to the fund, Middle East Newsline reported. The prime minister said the Islamic
regime would oversee the construction of thousands of apartment units more
than two years after the end of the Hamas-Israel war in January 2009.
"The Public Works Ministry has begun to erect complete residential areas
granted to residents according to specific arrangements and procedures,"
Haniyeh said.
In the first stage, Hamas allocated 1,800 hectares, or nearly 450 acres,
in the Isra area of southern Gaza. The prime minister said Egypt and Qatar
would
help the project, but did not elaborate.
Saudi Arabia was also said to be helping the reconstruction program.
Officials said the kingdom's Islamic Bank has pledged $137 million for
infrastructure and sanitation projects in 2011.
Officials said Turkey was also contributing to the Hamas program. They
said Islamist charities in Turkey, including those that sponsored the
Gaza-bound
flotilla in which nine people were killed by the Israel Navy in April 2010,
were providing support.