Monday, 19 June 2006An EU envoy is due to visit Jerusalem to brief leaders on a plan to provide indirect aid to Palestinian areas.
The package agreed by the "Quartet" of Middle East peace brokers aims to release $120m of EU funds, while bypassing the Hamas-led government.
The EU envoy will meet Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but no members of Hamas.
The EU and US cut off funding after Hamas came to power earlier this year, accusing it of being a terrorist group.
Western aid to the region was frozen after the group's refusal to renounce violence or recognise Israel.
Many Palestinians have suffered severe economic hardship following the move, which prompted aid organisations to warn of a humanitarian crisis.
Talks
The Quartet, made up of the US, the EU, the UN and Russia, announced that they would back an EU proposal to provide support for local health services, guarantee fuel supplies and provide for the basic needs of poor Palestinians.
The EU's External Relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will lay out the mechanism agreed in separate meetings with Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas.
"Parts one and two of the mechanism will be launched immediately, with the aim of making payments to individuals by early July," Ms Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement.
The Quartet has said it hopes Israel and other international donors will consider participating in the scheme.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Israel would not comment on the aid plan until it was formally presented by Ms Ferrero-Waldner.
The BBC's Nick Childs in Jerusalem says the hope is that the temporary and limited move by the Quartet can relieve some of the hardships for ordinary Palestinians.
What impact it will have beyond that is not clear, our correspondent says.
Dependency
On Sunday, the Hamas-led government gave a guarded welcome to the plan.
A Hamas spokesman said any funds for impoverished Palestinians were welcome, but he argued that in bypassing the elected government, the Quartet was undermining democracy.
The Palestinian authority is heavily dependent on foreign aid and on donor countries.
The EU gives about 500m euros ($632m) a year to the Palestinians, making it by far the biggest aid donor.
However, public employees will not directly benefit from the new aid plan.
The Hamas government has turned to other countries for assistance and hundreds of millions of dollars have been given or promised by Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and many other countries.
BBC News
June 19, 2006 |
Monday, 19 June 2006
Palestine
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