GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Qatar and Egypt signed an financial settlement that permits Egypt to produce gas and development materials to the Gaza Strip, via Qatari funding, below an settlement that may revive the Gaza Strip’s financial system and contribute to paying the salaries of Hamas authorities staff.
Qatari Minister of Overseas Affairs Soltan bin Saad al-Muraikhi introduced the agreement Nov. 18, on the sidelines of the 2 nations’ participation within the ministerial assembly of the Advert Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of the Worldwide Help to Palestinians in Oslo.
The settlement displays a consensus between Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Hamas and the United Nations to unravel the stalemate of Israel’s refusal to permit Qatar to switch a month-to-month monetary grant to contribute to paying Hamas authorities staff’ salaries, which had been suspended after the final battle between Israel and the Gaza factions in Could.
Since 2018, Qatar had been providing a month-to-month grant of $30 million to the Gaza Strip, $10 million of which have been paid as monetary help for 100,000 underprivileged households at a price of $100 per household; $10 million have been used to purchase gas to function the one energy plant within the Gaza Strip; and one other $10 million have been directed to initiatives for the unemployed and contributions to the salaries of Hamas authorities staff.
The $10 million allotted to initiatives for the unemployed and contributions to Hamas staff’ salaries have been suspended after the final battle between the factions and Israel. The brand new Israeli authorities refused to allow these sums into Gaza, because it opposes any direct funding for Hamas and its staff. Tensions resurfaced between either side in consequence.
Knowledgeable Hamas sources instructed Al-Monitor on situation of anonymity that the meetings between Qatari Ambassador Mohammed al-Emadi on his latest go to to the Gaza Strip Oct. 18 geared toward discussing a brand new mechanism to permit the entry of the grant allotted to Hamas staff in Gaza.
The sources famous that Emadi proposed the brand new mechanism to Israel and Hamas and defined that it could contain Qatar’s buy of gas and development materials from Egypt and their switch to the Gaza Strip. Hamas would then promote them to shoppers, and from their sale, it could contribute to rising the salaries of staff who’re at the moment getting paid half of their salaries.
The sources instructed Al-Monitor that Hamas has examined the settlement and made some amendments. It has additionally knowledgeable Emadi of its approval and indicated that the $10 million will likely be paid to the Egyptian Abnaa Sinai firm, which supplies provides, merchandise and gas to the Gaza Strip.
Al-Monitor touched base with a number of officers from the Hamas-led Ministry of Finance in Gaza to debate the elevate that staff will obtain after the brand new mechanism is applied, however they refused to remark.
The Israeli Maariv newspaper reported Nov. 19 that Israel expects Hamas staff to receive their salaries via the Qatari grant within the subsequent few days, which can restore safety within the Gaza Strip.
The pinnacle of the Public Staff Syndicate in Gaza, Kamal Moussa, instructed Al-Monitor that the anticipated disbursement price, with the introduction of the Qatari grant for workers, will attain 60%, with a minimal of 1,600 Israeli shekels ($518) for every worker, i.e., a 5% improve within the price of disbursement.
He defined that their latest conferences as a union with the Authorities Work Comply with-up Committee and the Ministry of Finance aimed to extend the share of wage disbursement, and to offer sums of cash from dues to staff who’ve particular circumstances, particularly for these injured or sick, or as a contribution to paying college charges to the kids of staff or these affected by the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
Moussa mentioned that officers within the Authorities Work Comply with-up Committee promised them that the disbursement price can be elevated, if funds have been out there and the Qatari grant funds have been allowed entry. He famous that because of the blockade, monetary hardship and the latest Israeli aggression, the Ministry of Finance was compelled to borrow from banks to satisfy its obligations towards staff.
Since Hamas relinquished the premiership in 2014, its 48,000 staff haven’t acquired a full wage. The Ministry of Finance in Gaza has continued offering them with advances ranging between 40% and 55% of their salaries, which has negatively affected the financial system and the financial circumstances of many segments of Gazan society.
Moin Rajab, professor of economics at Al-Azhar College, mentioned in an interview with Al-Monitor that the Egyptian-Qatari settlement will contribute, even when in a small method, to replenishing the financial system within the Gaza Strip. He identified that any cash getting into Gaza would revive its collapsed financial system.
He defined that Hamas’ financial situation has develop into troublesome in latest months, because of the persevering with Israeli blockade, declining revenues, influence of the coronavirus pandemic and Israel’s pursuit of Hamas’ means of cash switch to the Gaza Strip, other than the army battles with Israel.
Rajab added that the celebration that’s most at an obstacle within the Qatari-Egyptian settlement is the Palestinian Authority, whose monetary treasury will lose cash that it collected as taxes on items that have been getting into the Gaza Strip via Israel. These items will now enter Gaza via Salah al-Din Gate, a small commerce crossing with Egypt, managed by Hamas.
The gate meets 17% of the financial wants of the Gaza Strip, which Hamas was capable of function throughout the framework of its understandings with Egypt since 2018, to learn from the taxes that it’ll acquire via the products that may cross via that gate and to pay the salaries of its staff. Economic estimates point out that the worth of commerce between Egypt and Gaza, via that gate, are roughly $55 million a month. The Gaza authorities earns $14 million in taxes monthly.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ahmed Abu Qamar, financial specialist at Al-Resala newspaper, mentioned that any cash or items getting into the Gaza Strip would contribute to reviving the financial system of the enclave, which proper now could be in want of any liquidity.
Abu Qamar thought of that the monetary circumstances of staff within the Gaza Strip are very troublesome, particularly since they haven’t acquired any full wage for a few years, to not point out the shortcoming of the Hamas-run authorities in Gaza to disburse any sums of cash to them from their amassed monetary dues.
