Israel on Wednesday accepted a decision by major Middle East peace brokers to
resume aid payments to the Palestinian Authority -- a move that could ease the
intense economic pressure on the Hamas-led government.
The Authority relies hugely on foreign aid to pay public sector salaries and
run health and welfare services, and the mediating powers decided reluctantly on
Tuesday that there was no other way to stave off a possible collapse into
anarchy.
It was not clear whether they would find a way to channel funds through the
overall Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, without having them
administered by Hamas -- an Islamic militant group officially sworn to Israel's
destruction.
But Israel, which had pushed hard and successfully for financial assistance
to be severed after the Hamas-led administration took power in March, took the
view that such a move would be possible.
"As far as we are concerned, the Quartet's decision to give further
humanitarian support to the Palestinian Authority, bypassing the Hamas
government, is definitely okay," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Army
Radio.
The Hamas-led government said it appreciated the Quartet's efforts to ease
the burden on the Palestinian people but added that they could have gone
further.
In a statement, the government also criticized the prospect that it could be
bypassed, saying: "We were hoping that their decision could be more positive in
dealing with the Palestinian government since it is an elected government that
represents the Palestinian people."
Russia, the European Union and the United Nations had all put pressure on the
United States, which has taken the toughest stand against Hamas, to agree to
ease the boycott.
The powers agreed that aid payments would be resumed for a three-month trial
period, through a "transparent" mechanism that has yet to be worked out but may
involve the World Bank.
It is expected that salaries to the Palestinian Authority's 165,000
employees, unpaid since March, will be settled. The monthly wage bill totals
around $150 million.
"If you need a hospital to be run, and someone has to be paid, he will be
paid," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said after the initiative was
announced.
