Brown in Gaza reconstruction call

Mr Abbas said the UK had a key role to play in rebuilding Gaza

The international community must make the reconstruction of Gaza a top priority, Gordon Brown has said.

Speaking after meeting Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Brown said he had urged Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to grant aid agencies full access to Gaza.

He also said it was vital that the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remained in place.

Mr Abbas accused Israel of "dreadful aggression" in Gaza but said there was no alternative to the peace process.

Top priority

Gordon Brown said the UK had trebled its humanitarian aid to Gaza as a result of the recent conflict in which more than a thousand Palestinians, including 300 children, died.

He said it was in Israel's interest as well as that of the international community that aid agencies had unrestricted access to Gaza to help those in need.

"We must do everything we can to help rebuild Gaza and to provide humanitarian aid to families whose lives have been shattered," he said in Downing Street.

We must do everything we can to help rebuild Gaza and to provide humanitarian aid to families whose lives have been shattered Gordon Brown

"We must help rebuild Gaza's economy to give hope that there can be a true peace dividend."

Countries in the region must do more to stop arms smuggling into Gaza while dialogue between different Palestinian groups must be stepped up to try and bring about a reconciliation, he said.

Progress in peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians was a "top priority" for the UK and world leaders must focus on the search for a lasting peace in the region with "renewed urgency", Mr Brown added.

Mr Abbas said the cost of rebuilding Gaza would be close to $15bn (