Gantz, Liberman condemn the transfer of Qatari funds to the Gaza Strip

The Israeli government conveyed a message to the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip last week saying that it would be transferring Qatari funds, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar said on Friday.

By ZACHARY KEYSER
Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu in conversation with the Jerusalem Post (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu in conversation with the Jerusalem Post
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
In response to the Qatari funds being delivered to the Palestinian citizens of Gaza, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman spoke out in condemnation of the Israeli media and leadership of the State of Israel for their consistent inaction against the Hamas-run coastal enclave.
Qatari envoy to Gaza Muhammad al-Emadi arrived in the Strip on Sunday and delivered the funds to the Palestinian government in charge of the enclave, Hamas. The money will be distributed among 108,000 poor families, according to Palestinian media reports.
"Explain to me which I can not understand. Every reasonable person sees the fires that set fire to the Gaza envelope communities on a daily basis, and in return, $25 million has been transferred to Hamas with the approval of the Israeli government," Liberman wrote on his Facebook account.
Liberman then turned his attention to the Israeli media as he said, "Where are you 'Israel Hayom,' 'Channel 20,' 'Army Radio,' 'Arutz 7,' media outlets purporting to represent the right? Why do you almost completely ignore the the continuous [border] protests and this shameful surrender to a terrorist organization? Where were you yesterday when $25 million was transferred to terrorists in Gaza? Just yesterday you chose to shut up like fish."
"My only conclusion is that these media are not ideological but personal. They have nothing to do with the Right, they are not concerned with the promotion of nationalist ideas, but only with one person's personality cult," he concluded.
The Blue and White faction has recently asked Knesset Speaker MK Yuli Edelstein to convene the Knesset plenum for a special session during the break-up on the issue of budgeting for protection in the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip, including major cities.
The request was signed by all members of the Blue and White faction.
One of the leaders of the Blue and White faction, Benny Gantz, condemned the transfer as well on Twitter, "The loss of deterrence - the suitcases of dollars are once again being passed and there is no political achievement that will guarantee quiet for the residents of the vicinity."
The Israeli government conveyed a message to the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip last week saying that it would be transferring Qatari funds, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar said on Friday.
The report said that Israel transmitted a message via Qatar, Egypt and the UN envoy to the Middle East, according to which it is committed to implementing the understandings of the truce, which include transferring the Qatari funds and reopening the fishing zone until next weekend. According to the newspaper, the factions agreed to the calming of tensions and that the weekly demonstrations on the fence will be "quiet."

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The newspaper also reported that on Thursday morning, the mediators told the Gaza-based factions of a renewed commitment by Israel to continue calming tensions after a round of talks and contacts in recent days, during which the Palestinian factions threatened to use "harsh measures" against IDF forces, including throwing explosive devices, sabotaging the fence, seeking direct friction and other means.
The Palestinians received a positive response to the requests of the mediators, according to the report, and decided that, as in the last two weeks, the "March of Return" demonstrations on the fence on Friday will be calm with the aim of "giving the last chance to the success of the Egyptian, Qatari and international efforts," but that it was dependent on the Israeli response to the demonstrators.
However, the IDF attacked a number of terror targets throughout the night Thursday, including terror infrastructure in military complexes and a military complex of the naval force of Hamas in Gaza, in response to a rocket launch from Gaza earlier, which hit a Chabad Yeshiva in Sderot.
"The IDF will continue to act against attempts to harm Israeli citizens and sees the Hamas terrorist organization as responsible for all actions in and from the Gaza Strip," said the IDF spokesperson.
Yasser Okbi contributed to this report.