at Jerusalem
How to make money in an enclave subject to a blockade? Qatar has found a simple solution to pay the salaries of some 22,000 people and civil servants of Hamas, the islamist movement that controls the Gaza strip: it has forwarded 15 million (€12 million) in suitcases. The convoy diplomatic crossed the Erez crossing between Israel and the palestinian territory on Thursday, with the approval of the israeli authorities, keen to reduce tension in an area drained where live more than one and a half million people. The next day at 8 o’clock, a long line of employees formed in front of the post offices for the distribution in cash of part of the arrears of wages. Claims have also been paid to palestinian demonstrators wounded in the violence over the last few months.
The operation, which continues this Saturday is supervised by Mohammed al-Emadi, the diplomat, qatari relations with Gaza. She is not as happy. Friday afternoon, the generous donor who came in from the Gulf and had to leave off the site of Malaka where the project takes place each week the “March of return”, a ritual expression close to the fence israel has made at least 221 people dead since march 30. His car was wipe of the jets of stone. The protesters seemed to reproach him with distributing $ 15 million to officials of the Hamas, while the budget allocated by Qatar to 50,000 poor families of Gaza is 5 million dollars.
“Acting gangster”
other payments are anticipated in the coming months to pay for at least part of the plethora of civil servants of Hamas. They do not relate to the military branch of the movement. Qatar is also funding to the tune of $ 60 million of the fuel oil intended to turn the turbines in the single power plant in the enclave. An initiative headed by the united Nations and committed by the jewish State. The arrival of the fuel provided for the extension of the public lighting.
the financial support of The Qatar is part of an attempt to de-escalation of the conflict between the Hamas and Israel. The islamist movement that is not recognized as an interlocutor by the international community is in trouble because of the partial blockade of the territory. He had to face the refusal of the palestinian Authority (PA) to pay the salaries of civil servants Hamas palestinians after the failure of reconciliation talks.
The AP has reacted strongly to the rain of dollars falls without his agreement on a territory it does not control for eleven years. Marginalized, she denounced “acts gangster”. “Fifteen million dollars have been paid out to Hamas at the expense of palestinian blood. The leaders of the organization take advantage of this money to continue with the plan of the zionist-american to separate the Gaza strip from the west bank”, complained Wafa, the official news agency of the palestinian Authority.
In Israel, the convergence of interests between the authorities and the Qatar is not to the liking of the Defence minister Avigdor Lieberman. Supporter of a hard line, he denounced the transit fund qatari as a “surrender to terrorism”.
” SEE ALSO – Qatar: when the end of the blockade?
