Obama Promises Palestinians $400M

In a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday, President Obama pledged $400 million in aid for spending on infrastructure improvements in the Palestinian territories. The president had wanted the meeting to be about the peace process in the Middle East but instead his discussion with Abbas focused on the Israeli attack on an aid flotilla headed for Gaza on May 31. "We agree that Israelis have the right to prevent arms from entering into Gaza that can be used to launch attacks into Israeli territory," Obama said. Last year, the White House promised $900 million in aid for the West Bank and Gaza but had trouble distributing the funds because Hamas—a group considered by the U.S. to be a terrorist organization—controls Gaza.