Sha'ath: Qatar mediating between Palestinian groups

Doha: Qatar is playing an important role in mediating between Palestinian parties and helping them overcome their differences, a top Palestinian official said here on Sunday.

Nabeel Sha'ath, Palestinian member of Parliament and ex-minister of foreign affairs, said Qatar is playing a major role in helping to build confidence between factions in both the internal and external Palestinian relations.

"Qatar plays an important mediator role in both the Arab-Israel conflict and also in helping our parties in Palestine to build credible relations to overcome problems and to proceed in unity," he told reporters at a press conference during a brief visit to the Gulf country.

"It is a key factor for us to update the Qatari government over the latest developments of our internal and external relations."

Sha'ath met on Sunday with the Qatari minister of state for foreign affairs, two days before an official visit to Doha of Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al Zahar.

Asked by Gulf News about the latest developments in the country's fiscal crises, Sha'ath called on the Arab countries that have responded to the call for aid to speed up donations.

Sha'ath said only Qatar with $50 million (Dh183.5 million) and Saudi Arabia with $92 million have made specific commitments to aid Palestine, despite the Arab League Summit in Khartoum a month ago deciding on an amount of $600 million.

Iran also promised $100 million and Russia committed to $50 million.

"Only if these pledges come all together and immediately to us, we will be able to pay salaries for the past two months and save the people from the threat of starvation," he added. However, he said he doubted if the donations could reach Palestine.

"There is pressure on the Palestinian banks not to transfer that money to the Palestinian government and there are threats of sanctions against these banks," he added.

Sha'ath said the Palestinian authorities would accept aid from any side, also Iran.

"We are not going to form any alliance; our aim is to have good relations with all Arab and Muslim countries and to ask support from all of them. But accepting aid does not mean joining any 'axis'."