UN says building materials to Gaza may quadruple

JERUSALEM (AP) — A United Nations official says he expects the amount of building materials entering Gaza to quadruple in the coming months, as the first details emerged from a deal reached on the territory’s post-war reconstruction.

U.N. envoy James Rawley says that Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the U.N. agreed to increase the amount of basic building materials entering the war-battered territory. Rawley says the U.N. will monitor the flow of goods to address Israeli security concerns.

This summer’s war caused major damage to parts of Gaza and 100,000 people have lost their homes, according to the U.N.

An Israeli and Egyptian blockade on the territory has severely limited the entry of construction materials, which Israel fears Hamas would use for military purposes.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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