Hours after the U.S. pledged $212 million for Gaza aid, Qatar upped the ante and pledged the most of all aiding countries, at $1 billion, Reuters reported.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry renewed his efforts Sunday to seek peace in the Middle East at a Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo and said that lasting peace was possible between Israel, Palestine and their neighbors.

Despite his optimistic appeal, Kerry did not offer any specifics on how exactly peace would be achieved, but he instead announced $212 million in additional aid to Gaza, which was badly damaged during the recent conflicts between Israel and Palestine this summer.

Palestine's death toll surpassed Israel's by thousands with Palestine reporting at least 2,100 deaths of which most were civilians. Israel reported about 70. Numbers have been disputed by each side.

The destruction caused by the bombings in Gaza has left it no more than a pile of rubble in most places. About 18,000 homes along with vital infrastructure were destroyed in the seven-week war. The Palestinians have estimated reconstruction will take about three years and cost $4 billion.

Qatar said it would provide a quarter of the cost, $1 billion in reconstruction assistance.

Other Gulf Arab states like Kuwait and United Arab Emirates pledged $200 million each, while Germany announced $63 million and the U.K. pledged $32 million.

"Out of this conference must come not just money but a renewed commitment from everybody to work for peace that meets the aspirations of all, for Israelis, for Palestinians for all people of this region," Kerry said at the conference Sunday.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said a 2002 Arab initiative could be the framework for a new peace deal to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but Israel rejected the base plan then and now, as well as has made clear to all countries involved that they have no intention of giving in to any concessions for peace with Palestine.

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