Hamas offers $1000 to Gaza families whose homes were destroyed by Israel

Israel “destroyed dozens of installations, workshops, shops and media offices, in addition to agricultural fields and greenhouses,” he added.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
A Palestinian man looks on as he stands inside a building destroyed in Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City May 5, 2019 (photo credit: SUHAIB SALEM / REUTERS)
A Palestinian man looks on as he stands inside a building destroyed in Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City May 5, 2019
(photo credit: SUHAIB SALEM / REUTERS)
Some 100 housing units were destroyed during Israeli military strikes in the Gaza Strip during the last round of fighting, a senior official in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave said on Tuesday.
Naji Sarhan, deputy of the Ministry of Works, announced that each family whose house was destroyed will receive $1,000 in urgent financial aid. The aid will be provided through charitable institutions in the Gaza Strip, he said during a press conference.
Sarhan said that an additional 30 housing units were partially damaged by IAF strikes on the Gaza Strip earlier this week.
Israel “destroyed dozens of installations, workshops, shops and media offices, in addition to agricultural fields and greenhouses,” he added.
 
He also claimed that the Israeli military strikes destroyed vehicles and ambulances, as well as electricity networks supplying power to the Strip.
 
The official said that the ministry has begun removing the rubble and opening streets that were closed during the two days of fighting between Israel and the Gaza-based terror groups.
 
The financial aid, Sarhan said, also includes providing rental fees to the families that lost their homes.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders were expected to leave Cairo late Tuesday after holding Gaza truce talks with Egyptian intelligence officials – and after Qatar earlier in the day allocated $48 million for the Palestinians.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah were summoned to Cairo over the weekend for urgent talks on ways of restoring the ceasefire understandings that were reached with Israel earlier this year.
Those understandings broke down over the weekend, with Hamas and PIJ firing close to 700 rockets at southern Israel, killing four civilians. The IDF launched retaliatory strikes against 350 Gaza military targets, killing 30 Palestinians.
A new Egyptian-mediated truce understanding was reached late Sunday night, that reportedly included the transfer of $30m. in Qatari funds to the cash strapped Hamas regime.
Palestinian sources said that senior members of the two groups’ military wings, Izaddin al-Qassam (Hamas) and Al-Quds Brigades (PIJ), participated in the discussions with Egyptian intelligence officials. The discussions, the sources said, resulted in the latest ceasefire understandings that were announced on Monday morning.
On Friday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov visited Qatar and spoke with its foreign minister about the humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank.