World pledges aid to Palestinians as crisis worsens

Conditions in Gaza worsened after Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in the tiny coastal strip at the end of June.

The operation was in response to a raid in which Hamas-allied militants who tunnelled under the Gaza-Israel border attacked an army post and captured an Israeli soldier.

Only 10% of the donations pledged yesterday at an aid conference in Stockholm were to be channelled through the UN, raising concerns that sizeable sums may go straight to the Hamas-led government, shunned by the West since taking power in March.

Some analysts questioned whether the aid would be delivered at all, noting that donor nations have a dismal record in backing their pledges with action.

Carin Jamtin, Sweden’s aid minister and host of the conference, called the donations “a fantastic result” but expressed disappointment that so few pledges were made to the UN

“The donors should have covered the entire UN appeal,” Jamtin said after the conference. “This still gives the UN system increased opportunities, even though it’s not satisfying.”

About $114m (€88.8m) of the pledges were earmarked solely for immediate humanitarian aid, organisers said.

But only $55m (€43m) was given toward a UN emergency appeal that had been the focus of the conference, while Egypt and some other countries made sizeable donations that organisers said would be given straight to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.

The US, the European Union and other world donors cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in direct aid and cash transfers to the government after Hamas took office in March, leaving the Palestinian Authority unable to pay salaries to most of the 165,000 public workers.

Hamas, which killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks, is considered a terrorist group by the US, the European Union and Israel.

Mohammad Mustafa, a top adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it did not matter how the money was distributed, “as long as it is assistance that gets to the people”.

“We assure you this money will go to a good cause,” he said. “This will be helpful money to save lives.”

The biggest donation – $250m (€195m) – came from Saudi Arabia, but it was unclear how the funds would be distributed.

“If countries give specifically to (the Palestinian Authority) then of course it benefits Hamas,” said Magnus Norell, a Middle East expert with the Swedish Defence Research Agency.

He noted that Arab countries have not joined Western governments in the aid cut-off, which came in response to Hamas’ refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel.

“Besides, the EU ban isn’t really working anyway,” Norell said. “Hamas is supposed to be forced to change its behaviour, and that hasn’t worked at all.”

Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said that Israel ”has no problem” with aid to Palestinians, if it is indeed humanitarian.

With some countries not specifying how, or when, their donations will be distributed, it is likely that many of the pledges will never reach the Palestinians at all, said James Paul, the executive director of the New York-based Global Policy Forum.

“It is notorious that political leaders and governments, with a big flourish, promise to give money and then when the media go away they simply don’t come through,” Paul said. “It is extremely likely that this will be another case of that kind.”

Jamtin said conference organisers would follow up on all pledges to make sure they were quickly disbursed.

The conference urged Israel to open up closed border crossings into Gaza to allow free movement for relief supplies, Jamtin said.

“Otherwise, none of this money can be used,” she said.