Report: Russia to give PA aid
Russian newspaper reports Moscow is set to funnel USD 10 million in aid to Hamas-led government
Russia will give the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority USD 10 million in funding, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The European Union and the United States have cut off aid to the Palestinian government in protest of the
group's refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence since its January victory in legislative elections.
The Izvestia newspaper, citing an unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry official and Palestinian Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek, reported that Russia would contribute USD 10 million and is in talks with the
Palestinians about the timing of the transfer.
The Foreign Ministry did not answer calls seeking comment.
The United States and the European Union cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in annual aid to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas leaders took office. The United States and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
Hamas has asked Arab countries to provide funds to help make up for the shortfall caused by the EU and U.S. aid cutoff. Qatar on Monday said it would give the Palestinian government USD 50 million in aid. A day earlier, Iran said it would send the same amount of money.
Russia, meanwhile, has positioned itself as a go-between, and last month broke Hamas' international isolation by hosting a high-level delegation. Inviting Hamas leaders to Moscow was seen as a bid by President Vladimir Putin to raise Russia's role in the Middle East peace process.
The decision provoked anger in Israel and surprise among the other members of the so-called Quartet of Middle East peacemakers. Moscow, however, made no apparent headway in persuading Hamas to soften its radical stance.
