Qatar and the United Nations have reached an agreement to return some Qatari subsidies to the Gaza Strip, marking significant progress in the ongoing talks to strengthen the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar and the UN will channel monthly $100 salaries for 100,000 impoverished Gazan families through a UN-backed mechanism, Qatari envoy to Gaza Mohammad al-Emadi says in a statement.
According to al-Emadi, the money will be distributed beginning in September.
Qatar’s point man for the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, attends a press conference at the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on February 19, 2018. (AP/Khalil Hamra)
The Qatari subisidies have emerged as one of the major stumbling blocks in the talks to strengthen the fragile ceasefire.
Since 2018, Qatar has sent hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to Gaza. Some went to fuel subsidies, others went to cash payments for Hamas employees. Israel allowed the money into the tightly blockaded enclave in an attempt to soothe tensions on its southern border.
But following the May battle between Israel and Hamas, Israeli officials have vowed not to return to the status quo ante, which they view as too favorable to Hamas.
The Palestinian Authority had hoped to sign a separate agreement between Ramallah and Doha to transfer the funds. But the deal, backed by PA minister Ahmad Majdalani, fell through after Palestinian banks registered opposition.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
