International donors have pledged $7.4 billion to the Palestinians during a one-day conference in France aimed to help stabilize the Palestinian economy. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the financial support is needed to prevent a total catastrophe in the West Bank and Gaza. Monday’s meeting was rejected by Hamas. Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said international aid should not be politicized.

Fawzi Barhoum: “We welcome political, monetary and media support to the Palestinian people, to all the Palestinian people, but we refuse for this monetary support to be politicized and money that comes with conditions or follows the American and Israeli agenda and to be tied with the progress of the Palestinian Authority on the ground, meaning to carry out security roles as part of the 'road map' which means the destruction of Hamas and the resistance.”