This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6234556.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Israel to free Palestinian funds | Israel to free Palestinian funds |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Israel has approved the release of frozen tax funds to the emergency government of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. | Israel has approved the release of frozen tax funds to the emergency government of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. |
| The move will help reinforce Mr Abbas's position against Hamas, which has taken control of the Gaza Strip. | The move will help reinforce Mr Abbas's position against Hamas, which has taken control of the Gaza Strip. |
| An Israeli official said the tax revenues would be handed over in stages to prevent the money reaching Hamas. | An Israeli official said the tax revenues would be handed over in stages to prevent the money reaching Hamas. |
| The money was originally withheld by Israel after the Islamist group came to power in the January 2006 election. | The money was originally withheld by Israel after the Islamist group came to power in the January 2006 election. |
| The cabinet's vote came ahead of a summit that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is due to attend with Mr Abbas and Egyptian and Jordanian leaders. | |
| Mr Olmert said the funds would "gradually help the new Palestinian government, one that is not a Hamas government". | |
| A BBC correspondent says many Palestinians will be sceptical until the funds are handed over. | |
| An Israeli government official said the cabinet approved the transfer of around $350m (£125m), the Reuters news agency reported. | |
| But it added this was short of the $700m sought by the Palestinian president. | |
| Last week, the US, the EU, and Israel said they would lift the economic embargo on the emergency government announced by Mr Abbas. | |
| At the time Israel said it would handover about $800m (£400m) of custom taxes. |