Hamas' staff paid some of their salaries

Hamas distributed the salaries of the previous government’s employees todaywith the support of the State of Qatar, through the Ministry of Finance.

According to the agreement employees were paid half the salaries owed to them to a minimum of 1,000 Israeli shekels ($276) and maximum of 4,500 shekels ($1,241).

The national unity government had so far refused to pay the salaries of the employees of the government in Gaza who were officials in the previous government and continued their work under the Hamas government.

It is believed that the Palestinian Authority was unable to provide the funds to pay the employees’ salaries, especially because it did not recognise them as civil servants and because no committee was formed to look into the workers’ positions to confirm their employment as was stipulated in the unity government agreement.

MEMO Photographer: Mohammad Asad