The London based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat reported Tuesday that an agreement has been reached between several Western countries to view separately the political and humanitarian situations in Gaza in order to allow the United Nations to carry out humanitarian aid projects in the Gaza Strip, independent of Hamas’ rule of the Strip.
According to the report, the United Nations is expected to approve a series of projects worth $600 million in the Gaza Strip over the next five months.
Al-Hayat also reported that Hamas has agreed, through a third Arab country, presumably Egypt, to cease attacks against Israel in order to allow humanitarian aid to go ahead.
“We have long demanded the separation of the humanitarian from the political in Gaza because the linkage between them hinder the resolution of the humanitarian problems exacerbated in the area as a result of the multi-faceted siege of the occupation,” Hamas officials told Al Hayat.
Also Tuesday, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj. Kamil Abu Rokon presented a series of Israeli actions aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Steps purposed included allowing Gazans to enter Israel for work, expanding the approved fishing areas on the beach, and improving water, electricity and fuel infrastructures in the Strip.
