Israel, Qatar reach deal on resumed cash payments to Gaza

Families in the Gaza Strip will again receive monthly cash payments that were frozen in the wake of Israel's 11-day conflict with Hamas.
Palestinians stand in line outside the post office to receive Qatari cash aid in Gaza City, Gaza, on Aug. 26, 2019. The aid was the latest in a succession of payments to needy families in the Gaza Strip from Qatar. Israel held up the payments this year in an attempt to ensure that Hamas could not use any of the cash for its military activities; payments now will be directly made into Gazans' bank accounts via the United Nations.
Palestinians stand in line outside the post office to receive Qatari cash aid in Gaza City, Gaza, on Aug. 26, 2019. The aid was the latest in a succession of payments to needy families in the Gaza Strip from Qatar. Israel held up the payments this year in an attempt to ensure that Hamas could not use any of the cash for its military activities; payments now will be directly made into Gazans' bank accounts via the United Nations. - MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

Israel announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement with Qatar and the United Nations to allow the regular transfer of cash payments to families in the impoverished Gaza Strip. Under the deal, about 100,000 Palestinian families in Gaza will receive monthly stipends of $100. 

Qatar does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, but in coordination with the Israeli government, has provided Gaza with more than $1.5 billion over the past decade to help fund salaries, electricity and stipends for poor families in the besieged enclave. 

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