Emir Of Qatar Visits Gaza, Becoming First Arab President There Since 2007
Neither citizens nor journalists in Gaza saw arrangements by Hamas in the era of its rule in Gaza, as it is doing these days, in preparation for receiving the first Arab leader to visit the Gaza Strip, breaking the political embargo on the Hamas rule, a visit which some people describe as political, as its organizer insists that it is humanitarian.
Visit of the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to the Gaza Strip, accompanied by his wife Sheikha Mozah bint Missned, and his Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, is considered by Hamas a great political victory, and an economic ground breaking, through the launching of several projects that are funded by Qatar , and which worth a quarter billion dollars, including the opening of Sheikh Hamad city in Khan Younis, laying the foundation stone for the paving of the main Salah al-Din street in the strip, and inauguration of a hospital of prosthetics.
The investment project seeks to build 1,000 homes for poor families in the devastated Khan Younis area in the south of the Strip.
Laying the foundation stone of the project, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh thanked the emir “for his brave decision to visit Gaza”.
“The visit of the emir announces officially the breaching of the political and economical siege imposed on Gaza for more than five years,” said Haniyeh.
“Today in Gaza and tomorrow in the freed Jerusalem,” he added.
Haniyeh also announced that the level of Qatari funding had risen from the $254 million previously reported to $400 million. No details about the extra funds were immediately available.
Haniyeh also commented on the prisoner release, negotiated around the release of captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit.
“The visit coincides with our celebrations of the first anniversary of the victory that the Palestinian resistance achieved, which is [the] Shalit swap – where Qatar played an important role in the success of the deal,” he said.
“He is the first Arab leader to break the political siege.”
The emir also plans to meet with Hamas leaders at the Islamic University; he cancelled a planned speech in a stadium.
In a phone conversation on the eve of the visit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the emir’s intentions to help the people of Gaza, under an Israeli-led blockade since the Hamas takeover.
A late-night statement from the office of Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi said his country welcomed the emir’s visit to Gaza, which it said came as part of Egypt’s effort “to break the siege on the people” of the territory.