Qatar announces new aid grant to Palestinians in Gaza

Feb 2, 2021

Qatar has announced new funding for Palestinians in Gaza.

The $360 million grant was requested by both Palestinians and the Israeli government and will go toward salaries, funding electricity and alleviating poverty.

“The grant encompasses provision to purchase fuel to run power stations for electricity, assist impoverished families and pay for salaries of thousands of employees,” a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman conveyed in an email to Al-Monitor and other media outlets.

The Gaza Strip is governed by Hamas. Israel controls its air and sea borders as well as its land border with Israel. Gaza also has a land border with Egypt. Hamas and the Israeli military fight one another off and on but also negotiate on some issues, including prisoner exchanges.

Qatar has a history of using its wealth to assist Palestinians. Qatar began a grant to Gaza in 2018 and has renewed it continuously since then. The grant was approved again last month.