Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday defended a recent decision to allow a $15 million Qatari cash infusion into Gaza, earmarked for the salaries of Hamas public officials, saying his government is "doing everything possible to ensure calm is restored to Israel's Gaza-vicinity communities."
Mohammed Al-Emadi, who heads Qatar's Gaza Reconstruction Committee, personally delivered the funds, in three suitcases, to Gaza.
Qatar's official news agency said the funds would benefit over 60,000 public servants hired by Hamas since 2007.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah government has slashed Gaza budgets as part of efforts to wrest control of the enclave back from the Islamist terrorist group.
Palestinian sources said the Qatari payout was the first of a total of $90 million that Doha has pledged to funnel into Gaza over the next six months, with Israeli approval.
Israeli officials stressed that the money would not end up with the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing.
Qatari observers were present at all 12 post offices across Gaza on Friday, to monitor the salary disbursements. Employees had to present their identity card and be finger-printed to receive the money.
Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) criticized the move, saying, "Now Israel is allowing suitcases full of money into Gaza for Hamas? He [Netanyahu] has capitulated to their ultimatum and is trying to buy a temporary lull."
She was referring to a demand posed by Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar, who said Israel must pay Gaza's rulers $15 million in cash every month or face an escalation in border violence and arson terrorism.
Yesh Atid MK Haim Jelin also criticized the move, saying, "Is this how the government thinks to manage state security and the security of the Gaza-vicinity communities? They are selling our security in exchange for the ambiguous promise of a lull. This is outrageous."
Education minister Naftali Bennett (Habayit Hayehudi) also criticized the move, which he called "a protection payment."
"The way it was done, it's obvious this was a protection payment. You may buy some quiet in the short term, but in the long term, this sends a message to the other side that they can use violence to get what they want," Bennett said.
Bennett also criticized Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman for signing off on the move. This prompted the defense minister to tweet, "Either Bennett suffers from memory loss, or he's just a liar."
"I strongly opposed any arrangement with Hamas and especially the money transfer, while Bennett supported it from the get-go, and even suggested we grant 5,000 [Palestinian] workers permits to enter Israel," Lieberman wrote. "Bennett has consistently opposed launching any military action against Hamas, so he and his party are themselves responsible for the protection [payment]."
Lieberman further stressed that "at a meeting on this issue two weeks ago, I was the only cabinet member to opposed transferring the Qatari money to Hamas."
Netanyahu rejected the criticism.
Speaking with reporters before departing to Paris for a gathering of world leaders, the prime minister said, "I do everything I can, together with the cabinet and the defense establishment, to ensure calm is restored to Israel's Gaza-vicinity communities, while preventing a humanitarian crisis [in Gaza]."
"There are many issues that we have to deal with and we act responsibly on all of them," Netanyahu continued. "Every step, without exception, comes with a price. When you take steps of leadership, if you can't endure the cost, you can't lead. And I know how to endure the cost."
Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin (Likud) also defended the move, saying, "This money is not going to Hamas, it's going toward the salaries of civil servants, in an orderly manner."
Elkin accused Abbas of cutting salaries to "inflame Gaza because he has not been successful on other fronts. The Qataris came along and said: 'We are willing to pay [salaries] instead of Abbas in order to calm the situation in Gaza.' What does it matter who pays?"
Palestinian officials in the West Bank were also critical of the move, accusing Hamas of "selling Palestinian blood" in return for $15 million.
A statement by the Palestinian Authority said that the Qatari grant was a "small price that Hamas charged for the precious blood" of the Palestinians in Gaza.
The statement accused Hamas of "exploiting the plight of the Palestinians to forge ahead with a sinister plan, which dovetails with the Zionist-American conspiracy to separate the West Bank from the Gaza Strip."
"Hamas leaders are prepared to align themselves with the devil in order to remain in power and undermine the Palestinian national project," the statement said.
"President Abbas has repeatedly affirmed that this conspiracy will fail. There will be no [Palestinian] state without the Gaza Strip, and no state in the Gaza Strip," the statement concluded.
Palestinian Authority official Wasel Abu Youssef said, "arrangements made through Qatar and elsewhere prolong the crisis of Palestinian division."
Meanwhile, Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar denied reports that Egypt's efforts to broker a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel have been successful, despite Friday's cash delivery.
"Anyone who says there is a deal or understandings with the occupation does not tell the truth," he declared as he attended a border protest Friday.
"There is no agreement with Israel. There are understandings with our Egyptian and Qatari brothers and with the United Nations to lift the siege imposed on Gaza, but unlike the leader in the Mukataa [Abbas], Hamas will never bow before the occupation," he exclaimed.
"The money to pay the salaries is a direct result of the uncompromising struggle of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the March of Return on the fence," Sinwar said, referring to the terrorist group's eight-month-long border riot campaign.
"This will continue until the siege the occupation has imposed on Gaza is completely lifted. Hamas is not negotiating with the Zionist enemy, nor will it do so in the future."
