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European Commission Makes First Payments to Palestinian Health Care Workers

The European Commission has made its first payments to Palestinian doctors and nurses under terms of the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) that was initiated in order to allow donor countries to help the Palestinian people while bypassing the Hamas-led government. Doctors and nurses have not been paid in five months. According to the commission, while the amount each receives is not that of a full salary, it will nevertheless allow the recipients to "carry on performing an essential service that benefits the whole population." The next TIM payments will be made to "support deliveries of fuel for hospital generators, water pumps and water treatment plants following the destruction by the Israel Defense Force of six transformers of the Gaza Power Plant." Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner was in the Gaza Strip this week to kick off the program.