U.S. vows additional aid to Palestinians

GAZA, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday the United States has pledged an additional $30 million to support Palestinian water projects.

Abbas made his comments at a joint news conference with the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, David Welch, in Gaza.

The Palestinian leaders said the United States has already made good on its promise to provide $50 million for housing projects to create new jobs and will pay another $30 million for water projects in the Palestinian territories.

Abbas and Welch held talks in the Palestinian leader's headquarters in Gaza to discuss the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip, where Israel Sunday began to dismantle the Jewish settlements there.

He said the U.S. envoy's visit indicated the U.S. "concern with what is happening here and the future of the region."

Welch said discussions revolved around security in the Palestinian territories, adding the Palestinian government "has a good economic reform program to revive Gaza's economy, as well as the West Bank's."

He said the U.S. administration will ask donor countries for additional aid to support the Palestinian economy.