Qatar will invest some $60 million in a pipeline to bring out Israeli natural gas into the Gaza strip, the Gulf kingdom's envoy to Gaza, Mohammad al-Emadi, announced on Sunday.

A major Hamas backer, Qatar has pledged over $360 million for Gaza's reconstruction following the Islamist terrorist group's conflict with Israel in May.

The energy-rich Gulf state has funneled more than $1billion into Gaza since 2012. Since 2018, it has provided Hamas with monthly payments averaging $20 million, essentially covering Hamas salaried for its civil servants. The Qatari funding also provides monthly $100 stipends to score of improvised families.

Emadi said on Sunday that Doha, the Palestinian Authority, and Gaza's electrical company had signed communication of understanding for a long-term project to supply Gaza's only power plant with Israeli natural gas. Qatar's said to the strip currently includes fuel delivered from Israel to the monthly tune of $7 million.

However, finalizing the "Gas of Gaza: initiative, projected to cost almost $60 million, could still take a few years," according to sources familiar with the issue.

The deal would have to involve Qatar, the P.A. and Israel-Hamas, Egypt, and the European Union. According to Arab media reports, the proposal seeks to see natural gas pumped from Israel's Leviathan gas field to southern Israel and Gaza via a pipeline extension funded by the European Union and Qatar.

Emadi said the plans strive to replace the diesel fuel currently used by Gaza's power plant with Israeli gas to produce 500 megawatts eventually. The proposed project would ease Gaza's chronic electricity scarcity.

While speaking with Arab media last month, Emadi said this initiative could save the Palestinians up to $10 million a month.