Gaza al-Quds hospital to be rebuilt

[oberliner]

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has agreed to allow materials into Gaza to rebuild a hospital, which was destroyed by an Israeli tank shell during Israel's 22-day war on the territory last winter, the Ha'aretz daily has reported.

The decision to rebuild al-Quds hospital in Gaza city was in response to a French request.

Netanyahu called Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, on Tuesday to tell him he was agreeing to the request as a humanitarian gesture, the paper reported on Wednesday.

Sarkozy first raised the issue with Netanyahu during the latter's visit to Paris in June and again at the UN General Assembly last week.

Netanyahu told Sarkozy he would order the Israeli defence ministry to allow building materials, such as concrete, to be allowed into the Strip, so as to facilitate the reconstruction.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/09/200993016243156531.html

[Chulanowa]

1. Who is this man, and what did he do with Netanyahu?

[HamdenRice]

2. Heard on NPR it was quid pro quo for France's hardline stance toward Iran nt

[proteus_lives]

3. Let's hope it's used for a hospital.

More hospitals in the Strip would be great.