Israel and Hamas welcomed on Friday an agreement signed by Qatar and the United Nations regarding the financial grant to the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced in a statement that he was in contact with Qatar “to put in place a mechanism to ensure that funds reach those in need, taking into account Israel’s security interests.”
A Hamas official confirmed to the official Israeli television Kan 11 that the movement agreed to the deal, even though it did not include the salaries of Gaza government employees.
On Thursday, Qatari Ambassador Mohammed Al-Emadi signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland.
In an official statement, Al-Emadi said that the MOU included a mechanism for distributing the cash aid grant provided by Qatar to families in the Gaza Strip.
He noted that the cash assistance would be disbursed to the beneficiaries through the United Nations and through its World Food Program, where about 100,000 families in the Gaza Strip would each receive the amount USD 100 per month.
Gantz said he had recently made contacts with official bodies in Qatar about the mechanism for distributing the grant, “to ensure that the aid reaches those who really need it.”
For his part, the Hamas official noted that the understandings between Qatar and the UN included the introduction of great facilities, such as the import of cement, tires and fuel, and allowing more than 1,400 merchants from Gaza to make commercial trips to Israel and the West Bank, as well as abroad.
Israeli sources revealed that the agreement would last until the end of the current year, and funds next year would likely be transferred through the Palestinian Authority.
