Qatari ruler enters Gaza, first head of state to visit territory under Hamas rule Published October 23, 2012 A Palestinian worker walks behind posters of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, left, and Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, right, in preparation for the visit to Gaza at Palestine stadium in Gaza City, Monday, Oct. 22, 2012.AP GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The emir of Qatar has entered the Gaza Strip, becoming the first head of state to visit the Palestinian territory since Islamist Hamas militants seized control there five years ago. An honor guard awaited Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at Gaza's southern border crossing, where he entered from Egypt on Tuesday. The emir will deliver more than $250 million in aid to the territory, a move that will bolster Hamas and ease its international isolation.