Hamas welcomes Israel-Qatar deal on Gaza aid
Hamas, which had threatened increased violence over the stalled aid payments, said it "appreciated" the Qatari deal with Israel.
Hamas praised the agreement reached between Israel and Qatar this week to resume cash payments to poor families in the Gaza Strip.
Israel announced Thursday that it will allow Qatar and the United Nations to transfer $100 per month to some 100,000 Palestinian families in the enclave. Israel had frozen the aid since its 11-day conflict with Hamas in May amid concerns the funding could be used to enrich the militant group.
“The announcement by the brothers in Qatar about reaching an agreement with the United Nations to bring in part of the Qatari grant is part of an appreciated Qatari effort to ease the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip,” Al Jazeera quoted Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem as saying on Friday.
“We affirm that our people have the right to have aid in all its forms enter the Gaza Strip,” Qassem said.
