(New York Times) Steven R. Weisman - A European proposal to provide aid for Palestinian health care has stalled because of concerns by the Bush administration that the plan may violate an American ban on paying salaries to a Hamas government. American and European officials say they strongly doubt that any aid will reach the Palestinians quickly, given the violent chaos in Palestinian areas and Hamas' declared intention to scrap a truce with Israel. "There is no humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories," a senior administration official said. "There is a political and security crisis." The best way to handle it, he said, would be for Hamas to reject violence and recognize Israel.
2006-06-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive