GAZA — The Emir of Qatar will become the first head of state to enter the blockaded Gaza Strip Tuesday, in a high-profile visit breaking the isolation of Hamas that seized power in 2007. Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani is officially visiting the Palestinian enclave to inaugurate reconstruction projects worth over $250 million, which an envoy of his emirate unveiled in Gaza last week. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh issued a statement confirming the visit and urging “our people to express their good hospitality in welcoming the great visitor of Gaza”. Security was already being reinforced in places where the Emir is expected to make a stop on the way from the Egyptian land border crossing at Rafah. Gaza, under partial blockade by Israel and Egypt, has no airport or seaport. Some Palestinians put up Qatari flags in the streets of Gaza city. Others attacked the visit on social networks, questioning Qatar's intentions. Gaza was badly damaged in a three-week onslaught by Israel in 2008-2009 to stop rockets being fired at southern Israeli communities. Over 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the brief conflict. The Palestinian Wafa news agency said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah movement was forcibly ejected from Gaza by Hamas in 2007, was told of the Qatari visit in a phone call from the Emir in Doha. Sheik Al-Thani “told him of his desire to visit Gaza Strip to inaugurate some projects to reconstruct the strip”, Wafa said in a report from the West Bank, where Abbas holds limited power, under Israeli occupation. “The president welcomed the effort by Qatar to support Gaza Strip, stressing on the unity of Palestinian land and ending division,” the agency added. It said Abbas urged Hamas to implement signed agreements for the reconciliation of the two rival movements. But Gaza and West Bank analysts say reconciliation is not on the cards. The Palestinian Islamist movement feels the wind in its sails and will use this major injection of Qatari aid and the visit of the Emir to demonstrate that it has powerful friends, despite its isolation by the West, say analysts. The Emir is due to fly to Egypt's eastern Al-Arish airport and drive into Gaza. Details of his schedule and itinerary were not released. – Reuters
