On Tuesday morning, Ismail Haniyeh, Head of Hamas Political Bureau, issued a statement thanking the Qatari Emir’s decision to “support the Palestinian people with $480 million,” thus concluding yet another successful round of the Hamas terrorist enterprise – attacking civilian populations for ransom.
“Hamas movement welcomes the decision of the Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to allocate $480 million in support of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” Haniyeh stated. “I express my thanks and gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and to the government and people of Qatar for this honorable move reflecting the generosity of Qatar.”
“This honorable decision is a continuation of the unwavering Qatari stances that support the Palestinian people politically and financially, in addition to defending the Palestinian rights at international platforms. The Palestinian people would not forget the positive Qatari stances maintained even at the most difficult circumstances, highlighting the unwavering positive positions of Qatar towards the Palestinian people.”
According to the Qatari news agency QNA, $300 million will be allocated to the Palestinian Authority for education and health, and $180 million for urgent humanitarian aid. Both failed states, the PA and Hamas, receive the money in exchange for Hamas’ promise to curb the Islamic Jihad, which, according to the Israeli security apparatus, instigated the round of violence that began Saturday morning.
In addition, Hamas commits to reducing the routine Friday fence riots by keeping the rioters further removed from the border. Incendiary Balloon and kite launches will also cease.
While Hamas and the PA are half a billion dollar richer, Israel, with a growing budget deficit of more than 3% and counting, is licking its wounds following this week’s round of violence. Besides the cost in lives (4 Israeli civilians dead) and more than 40 injuries, the Israeli government is in the process of estimating the extent of the damage from about 700 rockets that landed on its cities and villages.
Then there’s the cost of the near-perfect performance of the Iron Dome systems. The IDF reported some 100 downing of enemy missiles – with each Iron Dome anti-missile projectile costing from $50,000 to $100,000, bringing the loss from these successes to between half a million and a million dollars. Yea, victory.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Kan 11 reported that the war was conducted by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala over the phone from Cairo, as guests of the Egyptian government. Now Sinwar will return victorious to Gaza, and al-Nakhala to his base in Lebanon.
Israel, for its part, will facilitate the money transfer to Ramallah and the suitcases of cash to Gaza City (banks are prohibited from handling money transfers to Hamas because it is on the US list of terror organizations). Israel will also lighten restrictions on goods brought in through the border crossings with Gaza and extend the Gaza fishing zone back to 15 nautical miles.