Qatari Envoy Arrives in Gaza Strip to Distribute Millions

Qatari envoy Mohammed al-Emadi crossed from Israel into the Gaza Strip early Monday to distribute millions of dollars to Palestinian civilians and Hamas employees. In the past, Emadi has entered the enclave with suitcases containing $15 million in cash. The development comes a week after a major military confrontation between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist groups saw about 700 rockets launched toward Israeli civilian centers and well over 300 Hamas and Islamic Jihad assets hit by the Israeli military. After 48 hours of intense fighting, the sides came to a tentative cease-fire, in which Hamas reportedly committed to ending all rocket fire and scaling down weekly March of Return protests along the shared border. In return, Jerusalem is said to have relaxed some restrictions on goods entering the blockaded enclave. Apparently, it has also agreed to continue allowing Qatari money to enter Hamas coffers. Doha last week pledged some $300 to Mahmoud Abbas’s West Bank-based government, in addition to about $180 million ostensibly earmarked for UN-organized cash-for-work programs and infrastructure development projects in Gaza.