Israel and the diplomatic Quartet agreed on a plan to transfer money to Palestinian Authority employees that bypasses Hamas. While The Guardian warned Israel not to reject the plan and engage in what the paper described as “collective punishment,” the only naysayers come from Hamas. Haaretz quoted Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh:
However, Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza, “The Quartet have conditions. They aim to push the Palestinian government to make concessions that harm (Palestinian) rights and red lines and give the (Israeli) occupation legitimacy.”
The BBC quoted another unhappy Hamas official:
But Hamas reacted angrily at continuing moves to isolate the PA.
“All of them, they now want to keep the government aside, they don’t want to co-operate with the government,” Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad told the BBC.
“I think this will create [a] more dangerous situation.”
If Hamas ultimately rejects the aid plan already meeting the approval of Israel, the US, the EU, the UN, Russia and The Guardian, who will the paper blame for the deterioration of Gaza?
