THE United States, facing a possible humanitarian crisis, last night agreed with its Quartet partners to set up a “temporary international mechanism” to channel aid directly to the Palestinians, despite its boycott of Hamas.

In an agreed statement, the Quartet of the US, Russia, the EU and the UN said that the mechanism should begin operating “as soon as possible”, and ensure “direct delivery of any assistance to the Palestinian people”.

The statement was issued after Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia predicted a civil war if the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority was left to collapse.

Diplomats said that it was not yet decided how many of the 160,000-plus Palestinian Authority employees, including 70,000 security personnel, would receive their salaries through the arrangement. The government salaries, which support about one third of Palestinian families, have not been paid for two months.

The EU will take the lead in developing the funding mechanism in the coming weeks, possibly using the World Bank. The arrangement will be reviewed in three months.

“The thrust of this is the international community is still trying to respond to the needs of the Palestinian people,” Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, said.

Despite Washington’s softening on the delivery of aid, the Quartet reiterated its three-pronged demand that Hamas renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previous peace agreements.

But the Quartet did not even try to reach an agreed policy on official contacts with the Hamas Government. Russia has invited officials from the ruling Islamic militant party to Moscow, while the EU and the US shun contact. The UN has held working level contacts with Hamas.

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