JERUSALEM - Israel has revealed that it has transferred $100 million to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The funds are a part of the tax revenues withheld by Israel after Islamic militant group Hamas won the Parliamentary elections last year.
The move is seen as a part of the United States' plan to increase the power base of the moderate Abbas. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the release of the money was a welcome step, but noted that the money was legally theirs. "We hope the Israelis will release all the withheld funds," he said. "This is about 25% of the total they owe us."
The funds were transferred last night and are meant to be used for humanitarian efforts and also to boost the security forces controlled by Abbas. A senior Israeli government official said that the money would not reach Hamas. "They (Israeli and Palestinian negotiators) found a mechanism to make sure the money will not get to the Hamas government or the Hamas Finance Ministry," he added.
However Hamas' acting finance minister Samir Abu Aishah said that the government would decide how to use the money. "This is supposed to be spent according to Palestinian priorities. It is not for Israel to determine where it goes," he said.
The Israeli government had decided to suspend payments to Palestine after the Hamas-led government assumed power last February.
