Egypt, Qatar Agree to Supply Fuel, Building Materials to Gaza

 A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)
A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)
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Egypt, Qatar Agree to Supply Fuel, Building Materials to Gaza

 A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)
A father in the Gaza Strip transports his children on his motorcycle back from school. (Reuters)

Qatar and Egypt have signed agreements to supply fuel and basic building materials to the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian sources familiar with the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat that the agreement will help address the salary crisis for Hamas government employees.

The announcement was made in Oslo by Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi,Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, during a ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestinians.

Muraikhi affirmed that the joint collaborative efforts will contribute to improving living conditions in Gaza.

Muraikhi underlined the importance of the current understandings for facilitating the movement of travelers through Rafah border crossing and communication among all parties to calm the situation in the region.

The State of Qatar is working with various international community parties to reach a just solution that achieves peace and security in the sisterly State of Palestine, he added.

Qatar has been keen to provide many financial grants, humanitarian support projects and urgent relief interventions to improve the humanitarian, economic and development situation of the Palestinian people, Muraikhi noted.

“This constituted a key factor in improving living conditions, especially in the Gaza Strip, where the total amount provided has amounted to more than $1.5 billion, allocated for health education, housing, industry and agriculture sectors, as well as infrastructure projects, roads, and buildings.”

In August, Israel agreed with Qatar and the United Nations on a mechanism to transfer aid from the Gulf State to Gaza, boosting prospects for relief in the Palestinian enclave after it was devastated in an Israel-Hamas conflict.



US Sanctions Shipping Companies, Vessels for Delivery of Oil and Gas to Houthis

 A Yemeni man inspects the damage reportedly caused by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)
A Yemeni man inspects the damage reportedly caused by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)
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US Sanctions Shipping Companies, Vessels for Delivery of Oil and Gas to Houthis

 A Yemeni man inspects the damage reportedly caused by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)
A Yemeni man inspects the damage reportedly caused by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP)

The United States imposed sanctions on Monday on three vessels and their owners for delivering oil and gas products to Yemen's Houthis, as Washington continues to put pressure on the Iran-backed militants over their attacks on Red Sea shipping.

The sanctions targeted Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping & Trading Co and Great Success Shipping Co, and Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping Co and the cargo vessels they used to deliver oil and gas products to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

"Today’s action underscores our commitment to disrupt the Houthis’ efforts to fund their dangerous and destabilizing attacks in the region," Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender said. "Treasury will continue to leverage our tools and authorities to target those who seek to enable the Houthis’ ability to exploit the people of Yemen and continue their campaign of violence."

The sanctions came hours after Houthi-controlled television said a US airstrike killed 68 people at a detention center for African migrants in Yemen.

The United States in March designated the Houthis as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization," accusing the group of threatening the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East as well as partners in the region and global maritime trade.

The attacks on ships, which the Houthis say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern about the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.