Qatar To Rebuild Gaza Houses Destroyed In Israeli Attacks: Hamas

Qatar has pledged to rebuild all houses destroyed in Israel's latest assault on the Gaza Strip, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Friday.

A statement from Haniyeh's office said Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani informed him of the decision.

The leader of Hamas, which rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, expressed "his deep appreciation to the emir, government and people of Qatar," the statement said.

This initiative adds to Qatar's "honorable record in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, through the Qatari Reconstruction Committee headed by Ambassador Mohammed Al Emadi," it added.

At least 18 residential units were destroyed, 71 severely damaged, and 1,675 partially damaged in three days of Israeli attacks last week, according to Naji Sarhan, undersecretary at Gaza's Public Works and Housing Ministry.

Israel's assault, which started on Aug. 5, killed 49 people, including 17 children, and injured 360 others, according to the Palestinian territory's Health Ministry.

Fighting between Israeli forces and the Islamic Jihad group ended on Aug. 8 with a cease-fire brokered by Egypt.

Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report -