Qatar brokers Israel-Hamas cease-fire
Hamas says it has reached understandings with Qatar and Israel to contain the escalation in Gaza, but details of the agreement are murky.
Hamas and Israel reached a Qatari-brokered deal to end the latest round of violence, the Gaza administration announced Aug. 31. The deal also includes several projects serving the Gaza Strip. Hamas thanked the Qatari ambassador to Palestine, Mohammad al-Emadi, for his efforts.
Since the beginning of August, tensions have grown in the Gaza Strip, with incendiary balloons lighting fires in Israel in an effort to force it to ease the siege in place on Gaza since 2006. Israel responded with airstrikes on Hamas positions and closed off access to the sea. It also closed the only open trade crossing with Gaza and halted fuel shipments, leaving Gazans with less than four hours of electricity per day.
Gaza's coronavirus crisis has also worsened since Aug. 25, with cases reaching 581 as of Sept. 3, according to the enclave's Health Ministry.
Emadi announced on Al-Araby TV Sept. 2 that Qatar has pledged $34 million to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, including $7 million for those affected by the coronavirus. He added that Qatar has supplied the Ministry of Health in Gaza with 20,000 testing kits. Arrangements were also made with Israel to allow the entry of 7,000 Gazan workers into Israel and supply the Gaza Electricity Company with natural gas at a cost of $2.5 million. He did not specify who would bear it.
