US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will pledge more than $900 million for the Palestinians at a donors conference today (March 2), according to a US official.

However, only a third of that is earmarked directly for Gaza, the US official added.

Robert Wood, state department spokesman, said the pledge amounted to $300 million to meet 'urgent' humanitarian needs in Hamas-ruled Gaza after Israel's December invasion.

The remaining funds would be to meet budget shortfalls of the Western-backed Palestinian authority in the West Bank and to support economic and other reforms by the PA. None of the money would go to the militant group Hamas, he said. – Reuters