Hamas Refuses Qatari Financial Aid; Palestinian Protests at Gaza-Israel Border

After Hamas, the Palestinian movement governing the Gaza Strip, rejected Israel's 'conditions' for receiving millions of dollars in cash from Qatar, a representative of the emirate announced that his country's aid to the Palestinians will now be channeled through the UN to promote humanitarian projects for Palestinians. Simultaneously, thousands of Palestinians protested on Friday at the Gaza-Israel border. According to Al Jazeera, Mohammed al-Emadi, Qatar's special envoy, who visited Gaza on Thursday to deliver another $15 million in cash aid to Hamas representatives, stated on Friday that Qatar will participate in humanitarian projects and infrastructure strengthening in Gaza under UN supervision instead of giving cash. The Israeli government had previously agreed to allow $90 million in Qatari cash to reach Gaza; with the addition of fuel costs for Gaza, which Qatar also pays to Israel, the total aid from this emirate to Gaza reaches $150 million. Israeli media reported that the Mossad, the country's intelligence agency, had transferred $15 million twice in recent weeks, each time in suitcases filled with hundred-dollar bills, to Israel. Following the killing of a commander of an Israeli commando team in Gaza and the subsequent injury of another Israeli officer in an armed attack from Gaza on Tuesday, Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the suspension of the third installment of Qatari aid to Gaza. Nevertheless, on Thursday, the Israeli cabinet agreed to transfer and distribute this part of the aid, which was also $15 million and had previously reached Israel but was seized, through Mohammed al-Emadi, Qatar's special envoy. However, Hamas announced on Thursday night that it would refuse to accept the money; a senior Hamas official told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that Israel had presented a new list of Gaza government employees who should not benefit from this aid and had set other conditions as well. Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of Hamas, told the Associated Press that Israel is 'extorting' Palestinians for this humanitarian aid; according to him, Hamas considers the respect of its people 'above any money.' The Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization and other active Palestinian groups in Gaza expressed their support for Hamas's decision. The Qatari special envoy stated on Friday that while 'the situation in Gaza is difficult, some have turned this Qatari aid into a deal of 'dollars for calm,' and others are exploiting this for their electoral propaganda.' This Qatari official's remarks refer, on one hand, to statements from figures aligned with Hamas leaders who threatened that if Qatari dollars do not arrive, rocket fire at Israel will resume. At the same time, the Qatari representative likely alluded to the implicit exploitation by the Israeli government of the calm established with Gaza. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's agreement to transfer Qatari cash aid to Hamas has faced severe criticism from his domestic rivals in the current Israeli party campaign ahead of the country's elections. From Avigdor Lieberman, who was defense minister until recently, to Yair Lapid, a prominent leader of the opposition, they have accused Netanyahu of tying the security of the people in southern Israel, who have been under Hamas rocket attacks, to feeding Gaza with Qatari dollars. Concurrently, Haaretz reported that the fuel needed for Gaza, which Qatar pays for to Israel, continues to be supplied to the Palestinians in this strip via Israeli tankers at border crossings. On the other hand, Palestinians in Gaza repeated border protests on Friday. This type of protest, known as 'Return,' began last April and resulted in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries, but its scale had significantly decreased in recent months. However, according to reports, thousands of Palestinians gathered in five areas of the Gaza Strip, throwing stones at the fence that separates this strip from Israel and setting tires on fire. Ismail Haniyeh and Khalil al-Hayya, the head and deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, themselves attended one of these protest gatherings after several months. In the early hours of the protests, one Palestinian was killed and 22 others were injured. According to the Associated Press, Khalil al-Hayya 'swore that the return protests would escalate,' adding, 'We will see whether Netanyahu's policy brings him more parliamentary seats or humiliates him in this election.' On the other hand, according to Ynet, General Aviv Kochavi, who has been the chief of staff of the Israeli army for ten days, along with General Halavi, commander of the southern branch of the army, visited the readiness of their soldiers on the other side of the border. On this day, in addition to deploying troops, the Israeli army activated its missile defense system as it anticipated that armed Palestinian organizations would resume rocket attacks due to the lack of Qatari funds reaching Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu, who is also the defense minister, warned Hamas on Wednesday during a visit to his soldiers' drill near Gaza, saying, 'Perhaps there are those in Gaza thinking of rebellion; I advise them to understand that our response will be deadly and painful; we are ready for any scenario and to confront any tension.' Mohammed al-Emadi, Qatar's representative, had asked Palestinians to hold border protests 'peacefully.'