Fatah ministers cut Gaza visit short over dispute with Hamas - Reuters and Israel Hayom Staff

by Reuters and Israel Hayom Staff

Tensions threaten Palestinian unity government as Fatah officials accuse Hamas of barring them from their offices in the Gaza Strip • Scheduled week-long visit cut to one day • Brewing crisis may complicate Palestinian statehood ambitions, official says.

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the opening ceremony of a Ramallah park, April 5 | Photo credit: Reuters

Palestinian cabinet ministers from the West Bank cut short a visit to the Gaza Strip on Monday over disputes between Fatah and Hamas, Palestinian officials said.

The truncated visit reflected tensions threatening the year-old unity government, harming internationally backed efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip and complicating Palestinian statehood ambitions.

Palestinians in Gaza had hoped that Fatah, headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and Hamas could resolve a crisis over salaries owed to about 40,000 public servants hired by Hamas in the past eight years since it has ruled the Gaza Strip.

Resolving the issue is crucial to Western hopes of Abbas' government taking control of Gaza crossings and facilitating an effort to rebuild tens of thousands of buildings destroyed during Operation Protective Edge last summer.

An official close to the 11-member West Bank delegation accused Hamas-controlled security officers of barring ministers from heading from a Gaza beachfront hotel to their offices during what was to have been a week-long stay, which was cut to 24 hours.

"Hamas has thwarted the visit; they didn't allow ministers to implement the plan they came for and help alleviate problems in Gaza," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Ali Abu Dyak, secretary-general of the Palestinian government, charged in a statement published by the official WAFA news agency that Hamas had obstructed their work. "Hamas does not respect the law," Dyak alleged.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied the allegations and countered that the West Bank ministers had sought to meet with senior employees at the hotel instead of going to their offices.

Zuhri also said his group had not been consulted over the makeup of the committee set up to resolve the salaries issue, which he said was dominated by Fatah.

"We urge the government to continue to bear its responsibility towards Gaza employees without discrimination," he said.

Talal Okal, a Gaza political analyst, said the sides also differed over a decision by Hamas lawmakers to tax goods imported through Israel.

"Only ministers should levy taxes, and not Hamas," he said.

Zuhri said the tax was needed to make up for a revenue shortfall and "prevent a total collapse of services" in Gaza.

In a related development, Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bshara said revenue that Israel was expected to transfer later this week would enable Palestinians to complete disbursement of salaries for the past four months to civil servants.

Reuters and Israel Hayom Staff  

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=24953 


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