The Dutch Foreign Ministry is planning to give the Palestinian Police a special grant of 6.3 million euros ($8.4 million) in the following months, the Hague's foreign minister announced last week. The special funding is "also in Israel's best interests," he said.

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen and Bert Koenders, Minister of Development Cooperation, announced the initiative last week. The money would be given to Palestinian police officers, they told the Dutch press.

The Dutch government expects to give each officer 360 euros through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM).

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Verhagen and Koenders told reporters that this would have a positive humanitarian impact on the lives of approximately 17,000 police officers and their families.

"This allowance will not only help increase safety in the territories but also will improve living conditions for police officers and their families," they said in a press release. "The Palestinian civilian police have played an important role in recent months in containing and calming disturbances among Palestinians, notably in the Gaza Strip; the police must be strengthened to maintain and enhance safety and public order in the Palestinian territories."

In regard to the effects this might have on Israel, the ministers said the funding was "also in Israel's interests."

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has transferred $80 million in aid to the Palestinians, using a new account controlled by Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, officials said Saturday.

Fayyad, an independent, set up the account in the name of the PLO, the Palestinians' political umbrella group. The Islamic militant Hamas is not part of the PLO, thus allowing banks to transfer aid money without running afoul of U.S. anti-terror regulations.

On Saturday, the United Arab Emirates sent $80 million, the largest transfer so far, said Abbas aides who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss money issues with reporters.

Much of the money will be spent on covering the government payroll, and civil servants are to receive half their May salary in coming days, the aides said.

The Palestinian Authority is the largest employer in the West Bank and Gaza, and government salaries help provide for about one-third of the Palestinians.

During the boycott, civil servants only received partial salary payments.
Hamas and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party formed a coalition in March, with the goal of ending a foreign aid boycott imposed when Hamas first came to power more than a year ago. However, many countries have said they would not resume direct aid payments to the Palestinian government, because Hamas refuses to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

Arab countries and several other donor nations, including Norway, have not joined the boycott. Fayyad established the PLO account to enable these donors to transfer funds. In recent weeks, Qatar send $44 million , Saudi Arabia transferred $50 million and Norway gave $10 million.

Norway resumed direct aid to the Palestinian administration, after it became the first Western country to recognize the new Hamas-led coalition.

"We hope our contribution will help ease the social crisis the Palestinians are now going through," said Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.