$20m cash fix for Hamas
The $20 million cash fix came just hours after dozens of civil servants, demanding long-overdue salaries, stormed the parliament building in the West Bank, lobbing water bottles at Hamas lawmakers and forcing the parliament speaker to flee.
The second attack on the parliament this week, along with the shooting death of a Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip, cast doubt on renewed efforts by leaders of the rival Fatah and Hamas parties to halt deadly infighting.
Tensions have been high since Hamas defeated Fatah in legislative elections in January.
President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, who was elected separately last year has been pressuring Hamas to accept a proposal that implicitly recognises Israel.
Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel’s destruction, has refused to cave in to calls by Western donor nations to renounce violence and recognise Israel, despite the growing hardship.
Instead, it has turned to the Muslim world for help.
Mr Zahar returned to Gaza after visiting neighbours Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, China, Pakistan, Iran and Egypt. Palestinian security officials said he was carrying $20m, which was turned over to the Palestinian treasury.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed yesterday to push ahead with his contentious plan to redraw Israel’s borders with the Palestinians, unilaterally if necessary.
The remarks, made during a visit to France, were an indication that the Israeli leader has little expectation that long-stalled peace talks with the Palestinians can be revived.
