Qatari cash flow to Hamas stalled by Israel after rocket fired from Gaza and an explosive drone model sent into Israel

Israel has reportedly asked Qatar to delay its monthly delivery of $15 million to the Gaza Strip, after a rocket was fired from the coastal strip at a the town of Ashkelon last night.

According to reports in Hebrew-language media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also defense minister, ordered the fund transfer frozen in the wake of the uptick of cross-border violence.

A Hamas official told the medial the group doesn't know if Qatari funds will arrive this week.

Hamas also announced just earlier that Israel will bare the consequences for this stalling.

The Qatari payments began few months ago as a way of extricating the Strip from a humanitarian crisis amid the spiral of violence.

In the previous two rounds of payments since October, Qatar's envoy to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Emadi, has brought $15 million in cash into Gaza for civil servants' salaries and an aid project.

Both installments came during the first 10 days of the month.

The Qatari cash injection is part of an unofficial truce between Hamas and Israel that was supposed to see an end to months of violent protests along the Gaza-Israel border in exchange for an easing of Israel's blockade of the coastal enclave. Israel maintains the blockade to prevent weapons smuggling by Hamas and other groups sworn to Israel's destruction.

A total of $90 million is to be distributed in 6 monthly installments of $15 million, according to authorities, primarily to cover salaries of officials working for Hamas.

Israel's government has offered little information about the transfers, which have been roundly condemned by part of the right side in Israel, who see it as a reward for terror. A picture of money being brought into the Strip in suitcases was widely ridiculed.

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A tense calm along the Israel-Gaza border gave way to renewed violence since yesterday, including a rocket fired from the strip at the town of Ashkelon during the night. The missile was intercepted by the Iron Defense system, and the IDF responded with several airstrikes against Hamas targets in the Strip.

The rocket launch came hours after the Israeli Air Force struck two Hamas positions in the eastern Gaza Strip in response to an explosive device that was flown into southern Israel earlier Sunday, using a large cluster of balloons and a model drone.




Photos, vid: Previous shipments into Gaza of salaries in Dollars by Qatar )via Israel); Last photo - The explosive model drone sent into Israel from Gaza yesterday