Hamdallah: We cannot pay Gaza employees' salaries

The head of the unity government Rami Hamdallah said that his government cannot pay the salaries of the employees of the Gaza Strip because it is passing through a crisis and the fiscal deficit in the current annual budget is around $800 million to $1 billion.

In a press statement he clarified that the government is working hard and approaching the international and Arab states, in particular Qatar, in order to secure the support necessary to cover the expenses of the sector, pointing out that Qatar contacted the government and pledged $20 million a month for three months.

Gaza requires $60 million a month to cover the cost of salaries and operating expenses.

Hamdallah added that a number of donor countries have pledged financial aid to the authorities and haven’t met this pledge yet, he appealed to them to supply the aid.

Nearly 50,000 employees in the Gaza Strip have not been paid their salaries since the reconciliation agreement.