Wennesland in Gaza, Calls for Maintaining Calm

Arab World

September 22nd, 7:51am

Ramallah - Kifah Zboun

A Palestinian man receives cash as the United Nations begins to distribute cash aid, funded by Qatar, to thousands of poor families, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, September 15, 2021. (Reuters)

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland met with Hamas movement officials in Gaza on Tuesday to discuss the importance of maintaining calm in the coastal enclave. The envoy was in Gaza for a brief visit. He had last visited the area on June 21, when he met with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. On Tuesday, an informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Wennesland discussed with the Hamas leaders means to consolidate the truce in Gaza and to advance economic projects, in addition to the Qatari grant. An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Wennesland discussed with Hamas officials on Tuesday efforts to consolidate the truce and to push forward economic projects. He also tackled the Qatari grant, urging the need to maintain the calm in order ensure the success of the truce and hand out the Qatari funds, carry out the prisoner swap deal and launch real reconstruction in Gaza. The UN has played a leading role in consolidating the truce in Gaza, and it is supervising the distribution of aid in the Strip. Last week, it began to handing out cash aid to thousands of poor families in Hamas-run Gaza under a program funded by Qatar. The UN has said the funding amounts to $40 million and it targets around 100,000 beneficiaries. Qatar has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Gaza over the years.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3203051/wennesland-gaza-calls-maintaining-calm