WILL EU BE SENDING $ TO PALESTINIANS?

Quartet deal seen imminent on Palestinian aid (Reuters)
BRUSSELS - The European Union agreed on Friday an emergency aid scheme for the Palestinians bypassing the Hamas-led government and said it was close to winning the backing of international Middle East brokers for the plan.

“The European Council has endorsed our proposal for a temporary international mechanism,” a European Commission spokeswoman told a news briefing of an agreement reached by the bloc’s 25 member states at a summit in Brussels.

She added the EU was now “very, very close” to getting the endorsement of the so-called Quartet of international Middle East peace brokers, which also includes the United States, Russia and the United Nations.

U.S. Says Hamas to Blame for Financial Mess - David Gollust
The United States Thursday denied impeding European efforts to set up a mechanism for sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The State Department said the Hamas-led Palestinian government has only itself to blame for the financial crisis in the West Bank and Gaza. "Let's be clear about why the Palestinian people find themselves in this position," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "It's for one reason. It's because the Hamas-led government refuses to turn away from terror. They refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. They therefore refuse to be a partner for peace, and the international community, rightly so, has come out and said that's unacceptable." (Voice of America)