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WORLD NEWS Monday 12 noveMber 2018

Israeli leader criticized for money transfer to Gaza

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and weekly protests along the criticism because of the ing his predecessor for be- ence in Paris, when asked
MOHAMMED DARAGH- perimeter fence. large number of unarmed ing too soft. about his longer-term vision
MEH, Associated Press Hamas has been leading protesters who have been Even his erstwhile allies at- for Gaza, Netanyahu said
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s there could be no political
prime minister on Sunday resolution as long as Hamas
defended his decision to is in power.
allow the transfer of $15 “You can’t have a political
million from Qatar to Ga- resolution with those who
za’s Hamas rulers, rejecting are committed to your dis-
criticism that the move had solution, to your destruc-
strengthened the Islamic tion. That’s absurd,” he
militant group. said. The alternative is to
Benjamin Netanyahu told “do the minimal things nec-
reporters that it was “the essary to maintain our se-
right step” at the moment, curity and to prevent the
and that he was commit- collapse of the humanitar-
ted to restoring quiet along ian situation,” he added.
the Israel-Gaza frontier and The payment is part of what
preventing a humanitarian is expected to be a set of
crisis in the coastal Palestin- informal understandings
ian territory. between Israel and Hamas
“Every action, without ex- reached through Egyptian
ception, has a price,” he and U.N. mediation.
said. “If you can’t han- Hamas is demanding an ex-
dle the price you cannot pansion of the permissible
lead. And I can handle the fishing zone off the Israeli-
price.” controlled Gaza coast,
Israeli critics, including Mourners cry during the funeral of Palestinian Mohammed Shreteh, in the West Bank village of uninterrupted flow of fuel
members of his hard-line Mazraa al-Gharbiya, near Ramallah, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. to mitigate chronic power
coalition, accused Netan- Associated Press shortages and the lifting of
yahu of capitulating to vio- Israeli restrictions on exports
lence and of granting relief the protests since March 30 shot. tacked him for indirectly and imports. In return, Israel
to the embattled Hamas in a bid to ease a crippling With Hamas threatening to doing business with a mili- wants quiet and an end to
group. Israeli-Egyptian blockade intensify the protests and in- tant group that has fought the border protests.
The internationally backed that was imposed in 2007 ternational officials warning three wars against Israel For the second week in a
Palestinian president, in order to weaken the mili- of a looming humanitarian and is sworn to Israel’s de- row, the Palestinians kept
whose forces lost control of tant group. The blockade crisis, Netanyahu on Thurs- struction. Friday’s protests carefully
Gaza to Hamas in 2007, an- has led to over 50 percent day allowed the cash into “Everyone knows where restrained, burning fewer
grily accused the U.S. and unemployment and chron- Gaza. It is the first install- that money is going to go tires and refraining from
Israel of being involved in ic power outages, and pre- ment of $90 million that Qa- ultimately,” said Netanya- breaching the fence.
a “conspiracy” to perma- vents most Gazans from tar has pledged to cover hu’s agriculture minister, Uri In the West Bank, Palestin-
nently sever Gaza from the being able to leave the tiny the salaries of thousands of Ariel. ian President Mahmoud
West Bank. He promised to territory. unpaid Hamas employees But in comments to report- Abbas angrily accused Is-
take unspecified measures Over 160 Palestinians have for six months. ers before traveling to Paris, rael and the U.S. of gang-
against his Hamas rivals in been killed by Israeli fire Israeli opposition figures Netanyahu said it was a ing up behind his back to
the coming days. in the border protests, in lambasted Netanyahu for “question of alternatives.” entrench Hamas’ control
Hamas leaders in Gaza which Palestinians throw appearing to cave in to vi- He said the step was co- over Gaza. He also ac-
have described the arrival rocks, burning tires and gre- olence. Army Radio played ordinated with security of- cused Hamas of undermin-
of the $15 million, delivered nades toward Israeli troops. decade-old sound clips of ficials to restore quiet for Is- ing his goal of establishing
last week in three suitcas- Israel says it is defending its Netanyahu, from when he raeli citizens living near the an independent Palestin-
es by a Qatari diplomat, border against militant in- was the opposition leader, Gaza border and to avert ian state that includes all
as their first major gain of filtrations, but its army has threatening tough action a humanitarian crisis. of the West Bank and the
more than seven months of come under international against Hamas and criticiz- Later, at a press confer- Gaza Strip.q