Qatar Plans To Resume Funding For Gaza In A New Way, Including With The United Nations
Qatar will soon resume funding for civilian workers and poor families in the Gaza Strip under a new arrangement with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and the United Nations, the Gulf state’s aid envoy said Monday.
The Islamist Hamas regime in the Palestinian enclave of Doha has signed a Gaza reconstruction and infrastructure project since the war between Israel and Israel in 2001, but in another round of fighting in May, Israel and the United States demanded a reconsideration of funding.
Ambassador Mohammed al-Imadi said after meeting with Hamas leaders in Gaza that Qatar’s stipends for suspended government employees and poor families would resume in the coming days.
Gas-rich Qatar spends ০ 1 million a month to run the only power plant in the enclave and to help needy families and Hamas-hired government employees.
Al-Imadi said in a statement that Hamas, which is blacklisted as a terrorist group in the West, has approved a new payment process by the Palestinian Authority (PA), a rival of President Mahmoud Abbas, and the United Nations.
He did not elaborate.
Israeli officials have previously said that the PA- and UN-led approach could be distributed as Qatar aid vouchers instead of cash as protection against money transfers against Hamas in military needs.
The Israeli Defense Ministry’s agency for contact with the Palestinians, Kogat, declined to comment on Qatar’s announcement.
Emadi said the new agreement also calls for the full opening of border crossings with Gaza, which surrounds Israel and neighboring Egypt. There was no immediate word on when it could happen.
Qatar’s stalled payment has sparked outrage in aid-dependent Gaza, which has seen increasingly violent border clashes with Israel in recent days.
Imadi hopes that the resumption of payments and the opening of a full border “will have a clear and positive impact on improving the realities of life in the Gaza Strip (and) will help all parties to come out of the tense situation.”
Both Qatar and Egypt have pledged funds to help rebuild Palestinian territory. After pumping more than ১ 1 billion into the Gaza project since 2014, Qatar has pledged another 500 million by the end of May.
Ambassador Mohammed al-Imadi said after meeting with Hamas leaders in Gaza that Qatar’s stipends for suspended government employees and poor families would resume in the coming days.
Gas-rich Qatar spends ০ 1 million a month to run the only power plant in the enclave and to help needy families and Hamas-hired government employees.
Al-Imadi said in a statement that Hamas, which is blacklisted as a terrorist group in the West, has approved a new payment process by the Palestinian Authority (PA), a rival of President Mahmoud Abbas, and the United Nations.
He did not elaborate.
Israeli officials have previously said that the PA- and UN-led approach could be distributed as Qatar aid vouchers instead of cash as protection against money transfers against Hamas in military needs.
The Israeli Defense Ministry’s agency for contact with the Palestinians, Kogat, declined to comment on Qatar’s announcement.
Emadi said the new agreement also calls for the full opening of border crossings with Gaza, which surrounds Israel and neighboring Egypt. There was no immediate word on when it could happen.
Qatar’s stalled payment has sparked outrage in aid-dependent Gaza, which has seen increasingly violent border clashes with Israel in recent days.
Imadi hopes that the resumption of payments and the opening of a full border “will have a clear and positive impact on improving the realities of life in the Gaza Strip (and) will help all parties to come out of the tense situation.”
Both Qatar and Egypt have pledged funds to help rebuild Palestinian territory. After pumping more than ১ 1 billion into the Gaza project since 2014, Qatar has pledged another 500 million by the end of May.
