The Palestinian Authority continues to oppose the transfers, claiming that Gaza’s rulers do not use the money to help those it governs
Despite news last week that the Israeli government froze the transfer of Qatari funds into the Gaza Strip following an exchange of fire with Hamas, other reports claim that a third $15-million installment from Doha is expected to arrive in the coming days.
United Nations officials, however, denied involvement in the cash infusion and have maintained neutrality over such dealings.
“We were not involved in previously and won’t get involved now,” a senior UN official who asked to remain anonymous for protocol reasons, told The Media Line.
“Regardless, there is no official authorization from the Palestinians Authority (PA) for the UN to help. We can’t do so without the green light from the official parties,” the official added.
Last month, Jimmy McGoldrick, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordinator for the Palestinian territories, stated that his agency “does not view the Qatari grants as humanitarian aid to Gaza” and thus called for additional shipments of fuel paid for by the Gulf state to be transferred into the blockaded coastal enclave.
Ammar Hijazi, a diplomat in the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained to The Media Line that the PA is against such monetary infusions because Hamas has no national agenda. The Islamist group, he contended, uses the funds only to promote its own interests and not its Gazan subjects.
“Of all the money that Hamas managed to bring into Gaza, nobody knows how it was spent and towards what,” he elaborated. “Anyhow, there is a certain framework and route for any donations sent to Gaza and its people and this does not involve [Hamas]; that’s unacceptable.”
For its part, Hamas has described Qatari funding as a Palestinian right and claimed the monies received would be used to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the territory it controls.
“Our position is clear, we hold the Israeli occupation to account for what it agreed to with UN and Egyptian mediators,” Abd al-Lateef Qanou, a Hamas spokesperson, stressed to The Media Line.
In this respect, Israeli media, citing Qatari officials and Nikolay Mladenov, the UN’s special envoy to the Middle East, reported that the third installment of funds would arrive shortly provided tensions in Gaza remain calm.
But given the latest flare-ups which, in turn, followed a brief period of quiet, pressure has been mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to take a tougher stance towards Hamas. This was exemplified by the resignation late last year of then-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, who described Israel’s acceptance of a cease-fire after months of violence along the Gaza border as a “capitulation to terror.”
Then-opposition leader Tzipi Livni also slammed Netanyahu for abiding by Hamas’ tactic of “diverting [Qatari] funds so it can pay its members’ salaries.” She also said the Israeli government’s threats were “empty of substance” and accused the premier of strengthening Hamas in exchange for a temporary cessation of hostilities.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction has been at loggerheads with Hamas since the latter evicted the former from Gaza in a 2007 internecine war. Since then, the sides have forged numerous reconciliation agreements that have failed to materialize.