The distribution of monetary aid to the besieged city resumed earlier this month.
The United Arab Emirates reportedly declined Israel’s request to disburse salaries to Gaza employees instead of Qatar, Al Jazeera reported on Friday, citing Tel Aviv’s Kan News.
According to the reports, Abu Dhabi’s pointed to concerns over the money being transferred to Hamas officials instead of Palestinians unaffiliated with the group.
Qatar FM slams illegal expansion of settlements as Israel demolishes graves for theme park
Doha has taken responsibility for the rebuilding of the Gaza enclave since the 2014 onslaught, pumping over $1 billion into projects. The Gulf state pledged another $500 million in late May when indiscriminate Israeli bombing in Gaza killed at least 260 Palestinians, including 66 children.
Earlier this month, Qatar’s envoy to Gaza Mohammad Al-Emadi confirmed the start of the distribution of financial aid in the besieged strip following months of attempting to navigate hurdles by Israel.
Al-Emadi confirmed the aid would be distributed to around 95,000 families in the besieged enclave by the Qatar Committee for the Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and in cooperation with Qatar Fund for Development. Each family will receive $100 per month.
The United Nations, under the supervision of Israel, is leading the aid distribution process and has specified distribution centres for families in need. This mechanism was agreed upon by all parties following months of back-and-forth discussions over the aid transfer.
The envoy confirmed that over 300 centres and shops have been dedicated for aid distribution by Qatari organisations involved in the procedure.
The occupying state is set to oversee the list of eligible aid recipients.
Qatar stands by Palestinians
The UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords with Israel last year, establishing diplomatic and economic ties with the occupying state despite widespread opposition from Palestinian factions. Sudan later followed suit in normalising with Israel.
In June this year, the UAE’s Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed called on the west to designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation, a move that the Palestinian resistance group described as going against “Arab values”.
Despite the wave of normalisation deals with Israel, Qatar has repeatedly stressed it would not establish relations Israel as long as its continues its illegal occupation of Palestine.
On Friday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli occupation’s announcement of expanding settlements in the West Bank.
Qatar described Israel’s move as “a flagrant violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy, especially UN Security Council Resolution No. 2334 and a blatant attack on the rights of the Palestinian people”.
“The settlement plans pose a serious threat to international efforts to implement the two-state solution and impede the resumption of the peace process based on international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative,” added the foreign ministry.
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