PA worries Egyptian aid to Hamas prolongs Palestinian division

Gaza is in desperate need of Egyptian aid such as diesel fuel supplies and a planned free-trade zone, but some in Ramallah fear that if Gaza's financial crisis eases too much, Hamas will be less motivated to reconcile.
Palestinian policemen loyal to Hamas drive in front of fuel tankers entering Gaza through the Rafah border between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC1B14928AA0
Hamas police officers drive in front of fuel tankers entering Gaza through the Rafah border between Egypt and southern Gaza, June 21, 2017. - REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
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Rasha Abou Jalal
@rashaaboujalal1
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Egypt has taken several steps to improve economic conditions for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. On Aug. 11, an agreement was reached to establish a free-trade zone on the Gazan-Egyptian border during a visit by a Hamas delegation to Cairo. On June 21, Egyptian industrial diesel was brought to Gaza to operate the enclave’s sole power plant.

Egypt’s actions are a response to the sanctions imposed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Gaza, where Hamas has been suffering a financial crisis since 2014, when Iran cut its aid to Hamas in light of the Syrian crisis.

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