Qatar ups Gaza investment to $400 million
"The emir agreed to increase Qatari investment from $254 million to $400 million," prime minister Ismail Haniya said during a press conference in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza to mark the emir's visit.
The visit is a diplomatic coup for Hamas, whose government has been boycotted by international dignitaries since the movement forcibly took over Gaza in 2007, ousting forces loyal to the western-backed Palestinian Authority of president Mahmud Abbas.
The aim of the Qatari leader's visit was to inaugurate a $254 million investment project to rebuild the impoverished Gaza Strip which sustained major damage during a 22-day Israeli operation that began in late December 2008.
The project will include the construction of roads, housing and infrastructure, as well as agricultural development, officials said.
Haniya hailed the top-level visit as a "victory" over the political and economic siege on his government.
"You are officially declaring the end of the political and economic blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip by the forces of injustice and tyranny," he told the emir.
His remarks referred to the political boycott of his government as well as the Israeli-imposed blockade, in place since 2006, that prevents Palestinians from bringing construction materials into the territory.
"Today we demolish the wall of the blockade through this visit, thank you Qatar," he said.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1725354252-0/Untitled-design-(5)1725354252-0-405x300.webp "article")
1732099866-0/adele-(3)1732099866-0-165x106.webp "article")
1732079997-0/BeFunk_§_]__-(7)1732079997-0.jpg "who is dr mehmet oz trump s pick to run centers for medicare and medicaid services")
1732090878-3/Untitled-design-(22)1732090878-3-270x192.webp "saudi arabia shows off first look at 92 000 seat king salman stadium")
One of Gazan's (and muslims' at large) major problem is that they are still not able to channel their frustrations constructively. Hamas's suicide bombing campaign has achieved NO military objectives. If Hamas had vowed to renounce violence against Israeli civilians after gaining power, they could've appealed to the larger international community to pressurize Israel to lift its embargo, providing relief to the millions of Gazans. Alas, because of their violence, they have lost the moral high ground. Shouting high sounding slogans has no value if you do not have an economy to back them up.