Netanyahu agrees to new Gaza hospital

JERUSALEM, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agreed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's request to rebuild a Gaza hospital damaged in Operation Cast Lead.

For the first time since the Israeli military offensive in Gaza ended early in 2009, Israel will allow the necessary building materials to be transferred to the Gaza Strip in order to fix the hospital, the Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper reported Wednesday.

Last week, Sarkozy asked Netanyahu to permit the rebuilding when the two met at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the newspaper said.

Sarkozy told Netanyahu the nation of Qatar would fund the rebuilding costs, the newspaper said.

Since the end of the offensive in Gaza, Israel has prevented the transfer of cement and building materials to the Gaza Strip, fearing they will fall into the hands of Hamas, who will use it to rebuild positions damaged in the military operation.

In the coming days, Amos Gilad, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's security and diplomatic bureau, will travel to France to coordinate the hospital project, the newspaper said.