Clinton Pledges Hamas Will Not Touch Gaza Aid
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is pledging that the $300 million the U.S. plans to give for humanitarian aid in Gaza will not end up in Hamas’ hands.
Clinton has addressed a donors conference in Egypt. She says the Obama administration has worked with the Palestinian Authority to make sure the money is “only used where and for whom it is intended.”
Washington views Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, as a terrorist organization.
Clinton says the response to Israel’s bruising January offensive in Gaza can’t be separated from “broader efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace.” Clinton says the aid can help ” foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realized.”
She’s also pledging $600 million in assistance for the Palestinian Authority. All the money is subject to approval by Congress.
