Palestinian aid plan welcomed

JERUSALEM - Hamas and Israeli officials have given qualified backing to plans to renew financial help to the Palestinian people while continuing to boycott the Hamas Government.

Both sides are now waiting to read the fine print. The plan calls for the establishment of a "needs-based allowance programme" with the aim of creating a "social safety net". But the 160,000 public servants and security personnel who have been waiting for pay since February are not expected to benefit.

The "temporary international mechanism", which will channel the money through Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, was drawn up by the European Union and endorsed by the United States, United Nations and Russia. It was to be presented overnight to Israel and Abbas by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations.

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad hailed it as a way to ease the siege and decrease suffering. He regretted that the international community was still trying to isolate the elected Government. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: "Israel is receptive to assistance that will bypass the Hamas-led Government, giving it neither legitimacy nor recognition. No one on our side has an interest in seeing hardship in the Palestinian territories."

- INDEPENDENT