CAIRO - Qatar will establish an escrow account with both Gaza's electricity and electricity distribution companies to cover the costs of gas supply and generating electricity through Gaza's only power plant, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Under the agreement, the Qatari committee will be the main owner of the account and will organize and manage the payments through it, while the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company will deposit $5 million per month when the gas power plant starts operating, the statement added.

Gas-rich Qatar used to spend $30 million per month to help operate the coastal Gaza's sole power plant and to support needy families and Hamas-hired public servants.  

(Reporting by Alaa Swilam; Editing by Catherine Evans and David Evans) ((Alaa.Swilam@thomsonreuters.com;))