Qatar’s official news agency reported on Sunday that the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, had ordered the transfer of a $360 million grant to the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, the Qatari aid will be transferred to Gaza, which is controlled by the Hamas terrorist organization, from January 2021 until the end of the current year.
It further said that the financial grant was approved as part of the ongoing support of Qatar for the Palestinian people who are "under siege" in the Gaza Strip.
It also stated that the funds will be used to pay the salaries of civil servants, pensions for needy families, cover expenses required to operate the Gaza power plant and to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh welcomed the Qatari aid, noting that it testifies to the depth of ties between the Palestinian people and the Qatari people.
Qatar has been heavily invested in the Gaza Strip in recent years, funding welfare payments to the enclave with Israel’s blessing.
The Qatari envoy to the region, Mohammed al-Emadi, acknowledged in an interview in 2019 that cooperation with Israel is needed in order to improve the situation in Gaza.