Qatar has donated $4.5 million to support Palestinian refugees stranded in the West Bank since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023, the Qatar Fund for Development said.

The funds were provided through a partnership between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, the QFFD said.

 It said the funds would offer cash assistance to over 4,400 Palestinian workers and patients from Gaza.

“This partnership aims to make a meaningful impact on those in need,” said Sultan bin Ahmed Al Aseeri, acting director-general of QFFD.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the support, noting thousands of Palestinian refugees remain “trapped” and “struck in a painful limbo” in the West Bank.

Israel launched a major military operation in Gaza on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel.

The ensuing 11-month conflict has left nearly 41,000 Palestinians dead in Gaza and displaced most of the territory’s 2.1 million residents, according to health authorities in Gaza.

Israel has also conducted frequent raids in the West Bank since the conflict began.

Palestinian health authorities report that almost 700 Palestinians in Israel-occupied West Bank have been killed there during this period.

(Xinhua/NAN)