Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (R) meets with Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini on the sidelines of the opening session of the Gaza Donor Conference in Cairo on October 12, 2014, aimed at helping the Gaza Strip pummelled by the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants earlier this year. Some 50 countries are to attend the talks, with Palestinians hoping for $4 billion in global pledges, despite wariness from donors that without a full peace treaty with Israel they may just be pouring money down the drain. Photo by Thaer Ganaim