TEL AVIV, Feb 6: Israel will not transfer customs duties to a Palestinian government headed by the Hamas, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday. “We have decided to transfer the funds to the Palestinians as long as they are not led by a government formed by Hamas and as long as they decide to work towards stability,” Mr Olmert said in a speech in Tel Aviv.
Israel decided on Sunday to finally transfer around 50 million dollars in customs duties which should have been paid to the Palestinian Authority on the first of the month.
Mr Olmert had initially justified the freeze on the grounds that he wanted to ensure the money does not get in the hands of ‘terrorists’, a reference to Hamas which won the Jan 25 general election.
Hamas, behind dozens of anti-Israeli attacks in the last five years, is expected to form the new government but it is not part of a caretaker administration.
HAMAS CONTACTS EGYPT: A Hamas representative discussed with Egyptian officials on Monday the possible inclusion of the defeated Fatah party in a new government.
Speaking before the talks, Hamas official Mohammad Nazzal said the group would talk to Egyptian officials about ‘the possibility of cooperation with Fatah in forming the coming government’.
A Hamas leader said on Saturday the group had asked Fatah to join a government, but it had yet to respond.
Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt have said the new government must respect interim peace deals made by the Palestinian Authority with Israel.
But Hamas does not recognise Israel and its charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
The talks in Cairo are expected to last several days.
Egypt is emerging as a prominent intermediary as Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas try to form a new government while averting the danger of foreign donors cutting off aid.
Mr Abbas said on Friday it could take time before a new government was formed. After their party’s defeat in last month’s parliamentary elections, Fatah cadres protested against any idea of power sharing with Hamas.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said his group would continue talking with other Palestinian factions on forming a government if Fatah decided not to take part.
“We aim to form a wide national coalition government with Palestinian technocrats and experts.”—Reuters
