Tel Aviv – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the $15 million Qatari funds to Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian authorities criticized the Qatari-Israeli independent deal by calling it – “sale of Palestinian blood for $15 million.”
However, Nethanyahu called Qatari-Israeli deal, as “right step at right time” to calm the tensions, no matter the deal occurred without the consent of Palestinian authorities.
Netanyahu said, “Israeli security establishment supported the move and that ministers in his security cabinet approved it.”
“I’m doing what I can, in coordination with the security elements, to return quiet to the southern communities, but also to prevent a humanitarian crisis,” he added.
On the other side, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized Qatar and Hamas, during a conference to remember the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (who was killed by Israel on 11 November 2004).
“Not a single Palestinian who is loyal to his principles will agree to a deal that does not secure the independence and the sovereignty of the Palestinian people on their land in the 1967 territories with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he stressed.
Palestinian Government’s official News Agency, Wafa, published a column on Friday accusing Hamas of what is called – “the sale of Palestinian blood for $15 million.”
“Fifteen million dollars has been paid to Hamas at the expense of Palestinian blood, and the leadership of the organization is taking advantage of this money to continue with the Zionist-American plan to separate the Strip from the West Bank,” the column read.
The article claimed that the Qatari funds would go to Gaza with Israel’s approval, and the salaries Hamas will pay Gazan officials will be based on a list pre-approved by Israel.
