Qatar said that it will give US$50 million in aid to the Palestinian cash-strapped Hamas-led government, Qatar's news agency reported yesterday.

Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the decision was made according to "Qatar's support for the Palestinian people," said the report.

Qatar's announcement of providing financial aid to the Hamas government came one day after Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced Iran's donation of a same amount of 50 million dollars to the Hamas government, which is in deep crisis in face of western aid cut and diplomatic isolation.

An official in the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that part of the money was Qatar's contribution to a monthly pledge of 55 million dollars by Arab leaders to Hamas at a summit in late March in Sudan's capital of Khartoum.

However, the ministry did not say how or when the money would be transferred to the Palestinian government.

The Hamas-led Palestinian cabinet, which was sworn in on March 29, has been facing a formidable financial crisis and diplomatic isolation from Israel and the West, which pressed the radical faction to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous agreement.