U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks from the stage after a news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry walks from the stage after a news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, at a donor conference to help Gaza rebuild after the war between Israel and Gaza's militant Islamic group Hamas this summer, in Cairo October 12, 2014. Kerry called on Sunday for a renewed commitment to achieving Middle East peace, saying a lasting deal between Israel, the Palestinians and all their neighbors was possible. REUTERS/Carolyn Kaster/Pool

The United States government promised $212 million as an immediate aid to Palestine that managed to raise $5.4 billion at a donor conference. The assistance is a part of an international effort in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Secretary of State, John Kerry, announced last Sunday that Gaza needed immediate help. "Not tomorrow, not next week, but they need it now," he emphasised. The announcement was made during a donor conference for Palestine that was held in Cairo. The Wall Street Journal reported that Palestine had received $5.4 billion international aid during the conference while it had initially asked for $4 billion. At the same time, U.S. authorities also asked Israel and Palestine to get back to peace negotiations to end the violence that people in the region had suffered. There have been three years during the last six years.

The rebuilding efforts will be conducted by the Palestinian Authority with the help of Norway. The endeavour will not only include repairing the damages caused by the conflict between Israel and Palestine, but also encourage development in the region to lower tensions between Hamas and Israel. The Palestinian Authority is going to take control of Gaza that has been independently run by Hamas since 2007 when the authority was ousted by the Islamist organisation.

According ABC News, around 100,000 people in the Gaza Strip were displaced while more than 20,000 houses needs to be rebuilt. As the winter is approaching fast, people are expected to suffer even more due to the harsh conditions the region goes through during that part of the year. Kerry said that America's money would be used for shelter, water, food, medicine, security, sanitation and economic development.

Qatar pledged $1 billion to assist development in the Gaza Strip. The Middle Eastern country has been known for being a strong support for the Islamists in the region. Kuwait as well as the United Arab Emirates promised to contribute $200 million as Saudi Arabia had earlier promised to give $500 million.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Gaza a "tinderbox" as he spoke to donors. He said that one should not "lost sight of the root causes of the recent hostilities" in the region.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au