The Prince of Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa, and his wife, Mouza Bint Nasser, arrived in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning through the Rafah border terminal, between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, marking the first visit of a senior Arab official since Israel imposed the siege on Gaza in 2006.The Prince, and accompanying delegates, was welcomed by Ismail Haniyya, Prime Minister of the Hamas-led government in Gaza, and leaders of different factions, except for Fateh and leftist movements.
The Palestinian government in Gaza installed a large tent at the yard of the Border Terminal and decorated it with Palestinian and Qatari flags, and signs welcoming the prince and thanking him for the projects Qatar will be conducting in Gaza to revive its collapsed economy.
The prince will remain in Gaza for one day, and intends to hold a meeting with Haniyya and several ministers and members of the Legislative Council.
It is worth mentioning that Bin Khalifa first visited the Gaza Strip in 1999, and was welcomed by the late President, Yasser Arafat.
