Palestine’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Zahar, who has been trying to raise money for the financially troubled Hamas-led government, returned to the Gaza Strip yesterday with a suitcase full of cash.
An official said that Mr Zahar was believed to be carrying up to $20 million (£10.8million). Mr Zahar declared the money at the border, which is controlled by President Abbas’s Fatah presidential guard and monitored by European observers. It was not clear whether Mr Zahar would be allowed to keep the money. Last month a Hamas official was caught as he tried to smuggle about $800,000 into Gaza. The money was seized but later returned to the government.
Mr Abbas has been in a power dispute with the government and his presidential guard must decide what to do with the money. Western aid has been halted, leaving the Palestinian government without money. Civil servants have not been paid for three months.
The Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, yesterday agreed to begin removing a Hamas militia from the streets and to integrate it into the police