Qatar decided to provide US$10 million to help Palestinian unemployed workers and fishermen in the Gaza Strip, deposed Hamas government, which controls Gaza, said on Saturday.

Qatar's prince, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, informed deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of his decision during a phone conversation on Friday night, said a statement by Haneya office.

The cash support targets tens of thousands of unemployed workers who were affected by an Israeli siege on Gaza and the fishermen who could not work due to fishing restrictions imposed by the Israeli navy. The money would be paid through Hamas government.

Israel imposed the blockade on the Gaza Strip when Hamas routed forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and ousted his Fatah movement in June 2007.

Qatar is one of the few Arab governments that deal directly with the internationally-isolated Hamas administration.

Earlier, Haneya called on Egypt to ease the process of aid delivery to the Gaza Strip, especially food shipments, to meet the people's needs in the fasting month of Ramadan.

"The Palestinians have the right to celebrate Ramadan like all other nations through the help of the Egyptian authorities," Haneya said.

On Friday, Egypt seized a warehouse full of food stuff that was waiting to be sent to the Gaza Strip via a network of underground smuggling tunnels.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2009)