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Israel launched a devastating offensive on Gaza at the end of December 2008 that lasted 22 days and left many homes, schools and health centres damaged. Arab governments pledged funds to rebuild the coastal enclave.
Sawan said the reconstruction drive will begin "immediately" and that Israeli guarantees were secured in order to bring vital construction equipment into the blockaded Palestinian territory.
UNRWA, the UN's aid agency for Palestinian refugees, welcomed the Libyan donation in a statement quoting Peter Ford, the representative of the agency's commissioner general Filippo Grandi.
"Twelve thousand refugees are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, living in the meanwhile in miserable, cramped and often expensive conditions in rented houses or with relatives or camping in the open.
"This generous donation should enable UNRWA to make a real difference to the lives of hundreds of families," Ford was quoted as saying.
But he stressed that "the pace of Israeli approval for UN projects would have to increase considerably for this to happen," the statement said.
"We have a huge backlog of projects which have been held up, some of them for more than three years," he said.
"If the Libyans have secured an increase in the amounts of construction materials being allowed to enter Gaza, backed up by large funds to procure those materials, then that is a significant and very welcome achievement, for which they deserve our sincere thanks," he said.
According to Sawan, the Israeli guarantees were secured after the Kadhafi Foundation agreed to divert an aid ship bound for Gaza in mid-July to Egypt.
Kadhafi's son told an Arab newspaper at that time that Israel would allow reconstruction material sent by Libya into Gaza.
The Jewish state, which has maintained a strict blockade on Gaza for the past four years, agreed in June to ease the siege and allow all strictly "civilian" goods into Gaza.
But Israel stressed it would maintain the ban for certain dual-use items thought to include construction materials which can be used to build rockets and bunkers.
The new policy followed mounting international pressure in the wake of a May 31 Israeli commando raid that killed nine Turkish activists aboard a flotilla of aid ships on a blockade-busting bid.
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Sawan said the reconstruction drive will begin "immediately" and that Israeli guarantees were secured in order to bring vital construction equipment into the blockaded Palestinian territory.
UNRWA, the UN's aid agency for Palestinian refugees, welcomed the Libyan donation in a statement quoting Peter Ford, the representative of the agency's commissioner general Filippo Grandi.
"Twelve thousand refugees are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, living in the meanwhile in miserable, cramped and often expensive conditions in rented houses or with relatives or camping in the open.
"This generous donation should enable UNRWA to make a real difference to the lives of hundreds of families," Ford was quoted as saying.
But he stressed that "the pace of Israeli approval for UN projects would have to increase considerably for this to happen," the statement said.
"We have a huge backlog of projects which have been held up, some of them for more than three years," he said.
"If the Libyans have secured an increase in the amounts of construction materials being allowed to enter Gaza, backed up by large funds to procure those materials, then that is a significant and very welcome achievement, for which they deserve our sincere thanks," he said.
According to Sawan, the Israeli guarantees were secured after the Kadhafi Foundation agreed to divert an aid ship bound for Gaza in mid-July to Egypt.
Kadhafi's son told an Arab newspaper at that time that Israel would allow reconstruction material sent by Libya into Gaza.
The Jewish state, which has maintained a strict blockade on Gaza for the past four years, agreed in June to ease the siege and allow all strictly "civilian" goods into Gaza.
But Israel stressed it would maintain the ban for certain dual-use items thought to include construction materials which can be used to build rockets and bunkers.
The new policy followed mounting international pressure in the wake of a May 31 Israeli commando raid that killed nine Turkish activists aboard a flotilla of aid ships on a blockade-busting bid.
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