Hamas lambastes the West over aid policy

Tuesday June 19, 2007 16:04 by John Smith - IMEMC

Hamas on Tuesday accused the United States and Europe of playing political games with Palestinian aid after the governments of each country resumed direct aid to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank while leaving the Gaza blockade in place

Speaking to gathered press on Tuesday afternoon, spokesperson for Hamas Sani Abu Zuhri accused the governments of the EU and US of supporting an illegitimate government and of punishing the Palestinian people for fairly and democratically electing the Hamas movement to power in January’s legislative elections.

"By announcing their political and financial support for the Palestinian Authority, the West is backing an illegitimate government,” stated Abu Zuhri.

In addition to the US and EU’s resumption of aid to the PA, the Israeli government announced recently that it will unfreeze previously-withheld PA-owned funds to Salam Fayyad’s fledgling interim government.

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