GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories— Qatar's envoy to the Gaza Strip
said Monday that aid from his country will be distributed soon in the
Palestinian enclave, including to employees of the Hamas government.
اضافة اعلان
Qatari support is considered a crucial lifeline for impoverished
Palestinians living in Gaza, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007,
the year Hamas took power.
Before the latest Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas in May, the
flow of funds from Qatar was considered vital to maintaining relative calm
between the two.
But Israel has said it was opposed to a resumption of the funding under the
terms that existed before May's hostilities, claiming money was being used by
armed groups rather than strictly for humanitarian needs.
The stalemate appeared to have been resolved late last month when Israel and
Qatar announced approval of a new mechanism to distribute the funds, with money
transferred directly to individuals by the United Nations.
Under the scheme, Israeli-approved recipients in
Gaza will be
issued UN credit cards to withdraw the funds, sources familiar with the
arrangement have said.
But the aid distribution had not yet started and unrest persisted, with
Palestinians staging protests along the border. Israeli occupation forces
responded, at times with lethal force.
A source within Hamas said a sticking point was its insistence that civil
servants employed by Hamas be allowed to benefit from Qatari aid.
Qatari envoy Mohammed Al-Emadi, who is currently in the Gaza Strip, said
Monday that "all the details" regarding the distribution mechanism
"have been reviewed and the process will begin shortly."
Civil servants in Gaza's Hamas-run government can be considered approved
recipients, "following an agreement by the different parties," Emadi
said.
Qatar pledged $500 million for Gaza following the May 10 to 21 conflict that
killed 260 Palestinians, including fighters, in the strip, according to local
authorities.
In Israel, Palestinian rocket fire killed 13 people, including a soldier,
according to the military and police.
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