Qatar to Hamas: ‘It’s time for quiet’
Qatar demands that Hamas keep Gaza quiet after it pays millions in salaries to Gazan employees.
Arutz Sheva Staff, 11/11/18 07:24
The Qatari envoy to Gaza was caught on camera telling the deputy of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that Qatar “wants quiet’ after it paid millions in salaries to Gazan employees.
According to Kan, Sinwar’s deputy Khalil Al Hayya replied that it was “not a problem”.
The report comes as a long-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appears to be gaining traction. A central part of the deal has been Qatar’s efforts to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip.
Qatar, which has poured billions into Gaza, is home to former prominent members of Hamas including ex-leader Khaled Mashaal.
As part of the emerging cease-fire, Gaza’s civil servants got their first paycheck in months on Friday in a payout funded by Qatar. Sinwar has told Egyptian intermediaries earlier this month that he will escalate the weekly border riots if the money is not transferred.
The cash was delivered into Israeli territory from Jordan, through the Allenby Bridge, and then relayed into Gaza through the Erez Crossing.
The transfer was agreed to after Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas refused to pay the salaries of PA employees in Gaza. Israel agreed to facilitate the transfer on the condition that it be carried out by the UN.
Hamas wants Qatar to give it $15 million on a monthly basis in order to pay its employees in Gaza.
Israel is closely monitoring how the money is spent, as there is concern in Israel that the Qatari money will be spent on the upkeep of Hamas’s terror array.