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Israel release of funds 'a bribe' Haniya decries Israel 'blackmail'
(about 1 hour later)
Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has attacked Israel's decision to release funds to the Palestinian Authority's emergency government, calling the money a bribe. Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has attacked Israel's decision to release frozen tax funds to the new Palestinian government as "financial bribery" and "blackmail".
Mr Haniya, sacked as Palestinian PM after Hamas took control of Gaza, said the money belonged to all Palestinians.Mr Haniya, sacked as Palestinian PM after Hamas took control of Gaza, said the money belonged to all Palestinians.
"Our land, our nation will not come back to us except with steadfastness and resistance," he said. He also rejected a summit beginning in Egypt on Monday, saying only resistance would give Palestinians a state.
Correspondents say Israel's decision is part of a strategy to shore up support for PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel's move is designed to shore up support for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mr Abbas's new emergency government does not include Hamas.
The money was originally withheld by Israel after Hamas came to power in the January 2006 election.
The embargo had a devastating impact on the Palestinian economy and meant that many of the Palestinian Authority's 160,000 employees have not received their full pay in more than a year.
No peace talks
The promised release of the funds - thought to be hundreds of millions of dollars - came a day ahead of a Mid-East summit in Egypt.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak is hosting the talks being attended by Mr Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Jordan's King Abdullah II.
"These talks do not include final status issues, but rather, how the prime minister and the president of the Palestinian Authority would envision a future Palestinian state," Israeli government official David Baker said.
Mr Olmert said the funds would "gradually help the new Palestinian government, one that is not a Hamas government".
He said: "We will discuss with the Palestinian president tomorrow, and with the Palestinian government in the summit's aftermath, how we release the funds."
An Israeli official said the money would be released once a mechanism was established to ensure that it does not reach Hamas.