The Times of Israel reports: The emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Thursday phoned Hamas terror group leader Ismail Hanieyh and promised urgent aid to the Gaza Strip.

Al Thani affirmed that Qatar would continue to support the Palestinian people and construction projects in the Gaza Strip, according to media reports in Qatar. The emir also pledged to provide the Gaza Strip with fuel, especially for hospitals and medical centers.

It was the first phone conversation between a world leader and Haniyeh after the US’s recent decision to add the Hamas leader to its global terror blacklist. The Qatari emir has also instructed his government to provide the Gaza Strip with medicine, food and fuel worth $9 million dollars, the Qatari newspaper Al Arab said.

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