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Qatari Fund to Gaza to be Settled Soon

A field on fire is seen after Palestinians in Gaza sent incendiary balloons (Reuters)
A field on fire is seen after Palestinians in Gaza sent incendiary balloons (Reuters)
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Qatari Fund to Gaza to be Settled Soon

A field on fire is seen after Palestinians in Gaza sent incendiary balloons (Reuters)
A field on fire is seen after Palestinians in Gaza sent incendiary balloons (Reuters)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is working to remove the obstacles preventing the delivery of Qatar aid through the local banking system without exposing Palestinian banks to any risks or penalties, announced the Minister of Social Development Ahmed Majdalani.

Israel has suspended the transfer of Qatari funds to the Gaza Strip, amounting to $30 million per month.

Tel Aviv stipulated that the transfer, especially those directly paid to 10,000 people at $100, should be made through the PA and the UN.

Hamas initially refused the proposal, but Israel insisted, and then the Authority set conditions to avoid any legal problems related to the transfers.

The matter is expected to be settled this week, according to sources.

Majdalani pointed out that security bodies, including the Shin Bet, will check the names nominated to benefit from the grant and ensure they are not connected to Hamas.

The names will then be included in statements of the Ministry of Social Affairs, provided that they receive their money through Palestinian banks and not in bags, as was the case previously.

Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft bombed Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the enclave.

The Israeli military spokesman said its airstrikes were a "response to continual launches of incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel throughout the day."

On Friday, balloons were launched from Gaza, causing at least four fires in areas near Ashkelon.

Israeli spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Authority said that investigations determined that incendiary balloons caused the fires.

Tensions rose after a quiet week, but the delay in the arrival of Qatari funds to the Strip prompted Hamas to resume launching the balloons to pressure the Israeli government to allow the entry of the Qatari grant.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum confirmed in a statement that Gaza youth insist on targeting the settlements, proving they will do not accept the dictations of the occupation.

Barhoum reiterated that the "hollow parades" and "empty targeting" by the occupation would not intimidate Gazans or discourage them from continuing to resist the blockade.

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Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
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Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)

The UN special envoy for Syria said on Sunday that it was “extremely critical” to end the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza to avoid the country being pulled into a regional war.

“We need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict,” said Geir Pedersen ahead of a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has not released any details about the Pedersen-Sabbagh meeting. It only issued a brief statement in which it announced the meeting.

Local sources said Pedersen's second visit to Damascus this year is aimed at exploring the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis.

The meetings have been stalled since the eighth round on February 22, 2022, due to a dispute over the venue of the reconvening of the Constitutional Committee. Russia, which is not satisfied with Switzerland's joining Western sanctions against Moscow because of the Ukraine war, refuses to hold it in Geneva.

“Pedersen is holding talks with Syrian officials in Damascus, where he arrived last Wednesday, about the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings,” reported Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper.

Earlier this month, Russian presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told TASS: “As you know, only one venue - Geneva - is still unacceptable for the Russian side. As for all others, we are ready to work there.”

He added: “Probably, there is an open option with Baghdad, which, regrettably, was rejected by the Syrian opposition. It refused from this venue because Baghdad is supporting Damascus. They don’t think that Iraq is a neutral venue.”

The Russian diplomat stressed that the committee’s work should be resumed as soon as possible, but, in his words, it takes a lot of effort to find a venue that would be acceptable for both Damascus and the Syrian opposition.

Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Syria against government forces, Iranian troops and Hezbollah targets since the eruption of the crisis there in 2011. Strikes have increased following the Israeli war on Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll of the Israeli airstrikes on Palmyra city on November 20 continues to increase with many people suffering from severe injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of three Syrians and two non-Syrian members of Iranian-backed militias, bringing the number of fatalities to 105.