Iran pledges $250m to aid ailing Hamas Palestinian government

IRAN has pledged $250 million (€188 million) in aid to the cash-strapped Hamas-led Palestinian government, the latest sign of increasingly close ties between the Islamic group and Tehran, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said.

The donation follows the end of a four-day visit by the prime minister to the Iranian capital. He then travelled to Sudan.

Also yesterday the European Commission proposed a three-month extension of a special aid deal for the Palestinians that bypasses the government.