France announces $14.8m Gaza aid

President Francois Hollande yesterday announced a $14.8 million aid package to the besieged Gaza Strip, where an Israeli military offensive has left more than 700 people dead. An advisor to Hollande said the humanitarian aid, eight million of which will be given to the Palestinian Authority and the remainder to UN bodies and NGOs working in Gaza, was approved after a meeting with non-governmental organisations working in the strife-torn region.