GAZA (Reuters) – Qatar on Friday said it will pay $20 million in humanitarian aid to boost the ailing economy of Gaza, a day after the coastal strip’s Palestinian rulers stopped the oil-rich Gulf state from paying money directly to impoverished government workers there. The move was widely seen as a compromise between Qatar, which appears intent on increasing its regional influence, and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. Abbas has refused to pay them, hoping that by slashing salaries, and thereby worsening economic conditions in Gaza, he can force Hamas back to the negotiating table. Israel regards Hamas as an implacable Islamist enemy, but fears that instability in Gaza will spill over into violence against Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government initially blocked the latest Qatari transfer, but relented on Thursday after the Israeli military recommended that it be allowed in.

Source: Egypt Independent January 25, 2019 17:37 UTC