Donors boost Palestinian security

The Berlin conference aims to raise $187m to help Palestinian security

International donors have earmarked $242m (£121m; 155m euros) to help build up the Palestinian Authority's justice system, after a conference in Berlin.

Delegates from more than 40 countries approved funding for the police force, judges, courts and prisons.

Improved Palestinian rule of law could help secure a peace deal with Israel, Middle East envoy Tony Blair said.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the one-day meeting's outcome had exceeded expectations.

"A clear signal of support for the building of a Palestinian state was sent from here today," the Associated Press quoted Mr Steinmeier as saying.

Tony Blair says economic stability will help the peace process in the Palestian Authority

Earlier the head of the Palestinian delegation, Prime Minister Salam Fayad, said he saw the conference as a sign of "enthusiastic international consensus in support of the Palestinian people for freedom".

The funds agreed will apply only to the West Bank and not the Gaza Strip - ruled by the militant Islamist movement Hamas.

Last year donors promised to transfer $7bn to the Palestinian Authority over the next three years.

Delegates had hoped the Berlin conference would set aside $187m for the justice system. But following the day's deliberations the figure of $242m was agreed to.

Mr Fayyad said the rule of law was key to improving the lives of Palestinians.

"Security is the most important service any government should provide its citizens," he said.

'Build capacity'

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa and foreign ministers from more than 20 other countries will also be present.

Before the conference former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said these are just the kind of measures the Palestinian Authority needs to take if it is to convince Israel to accept a Palestinian state.

"A major part of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is for the Palestinians to build genuine Palestinian security capability," he told the BBC.

"If the Palestinians aren't capable of providing their own law and order and their own defence against anyone who wants to engage in terrorism, then it's difficult to see how the Israelis will agree to a Palestinian state."

The conference will only deal with Palestinian policing and justice in the West Bank, however.

The Gaza Strip - home to about 1.5m Palestinians - has been under a tight Israeli blockade since Hamas took control of the territory last June.

Mr Blair admitted that there could be no lasting peace that did not include the Gaza Strip.