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Hamas blames Fatah’s dominated government for chaos in Gaza ministries

November 30, 2017 at 11:45 am

Former employers of the government gather outside the government building in the occupied West Bank [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

The Palestinian Islamic Movement Hamas placed responsibility for chaos in Gaza’s ministries on the Fatah-dominated government of national accord, Shehab news agency reported on Wednesday.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a written press release that this “chaos came as a result of the irresponsible government’s decision, which violates the Cairo agreement, to call on the employees who have sat at home since the division to go to their work.”

In a statement, the Ramallah-based government said: “The Palestinian cabinet stresses the need of the return of all old employees to their positions,” giving its directions to the ministers to arrange for the “immediate” return of these employees.

In response to this call, the Syndicate of Employees in Gaza called for the ministries not to allow any employee to return to his position until this issue is sorted out by the administrative committee agreed upon in the Cairo agreement.

Prior to Barhoum’s remarks, Hamas leader Sami Abu-Zuhri said that the government of national accord “must respect the terms of Cairo agreement without selectivity and far from ambiguous explanations… and not to be directed by a certain party.”

Read: Hamas will not disarm and calls on Fatah not to succumb to external pressure

In the wake of this incident, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya al-Sinwar invited all the Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Fatah and the Egyptian security delegation who happened to be in Gaza during the chaos, for a meeting to discuss the issue.

After the meeting, the factions announced a statement, stressing that Fatah and Hamas have to respect the agreement, as well as the government. The factions also reiterated that Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas has to lift the sanctions he imposed on Gaza.