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PA defends its policies in the Gaza Strip

June 13, 2018 at 10:34 am

Palestinian Authority employees in the Gaza Strip take part in a protest demanding their salaries in Gaza city on 10 May 2018 [Dawoud Abo Alkas/Apaimages]

The Palestinian government yesterday defended its policy in the Gaza Strip following calls to lift sanctions imposed on the besieged enclave.

The government said in a statement after its weekly meeting headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in occupied Ramallah that it is committed to its responsibilities towards Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as well as to freedom of opinion, expression and media.

It also rejected what it called campaigns of “defamation, treachery, incitement and distortion of facts” regarding the suffering of the Gaza Strip and said “we deplore attempts to divert attention from those really responsible for the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip, in order to confuse public opinion and reduce all the problems experienced by the Gaza Strip down to the salaries issues.”

According to the statement, these campaigns “absolve the [Israeli] occupation of its responsibilities and siege of the enclave”.

The statement said withholding staff salaries is a “temporary” measure adding that 35,000 employees received 50 per cent of their wages.

Palestinian factions, politicians and activists in the West Bank have been calling over the past two days to lift the sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip.

READ: PA Gaza employees continue strike for second day