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Hamas begins paying workers backdated pay
(MENAFN- Arab News) GAZA CITY: Palestinian movement Hamas on Thursday began paying a months-long backlog of salaries to more than 40000 of its employees in the Gaza Strip the Finance Ministry announced.
Hamas which formally governed Gaza until early June had been unable to pay many of its employees from October 2013 due to a biting financial crisis caused by Egypt's closure of cross-border tunnels through which most of movement's financial support was delivered.
Other employees had received only a partial salary.
It was the first time in months the employees had been paid with workers each receiving between 1000-4500 shekels ($276-$1240/215-960 euros) depending on their pay grade the ministry said.
Although the Hamas government technically stood down on June 2 handing over power to a Ramallah-based government of national consensus it has remained the de facto power in Gaza.
Hamas officials who wished to remain anonymous told AFP it was able to begin paying the backlog due to tax monies it had collected enabling it to cover partial payment of all salaries from October through to May.
Political analyst Mukhaimer Abu Saada said funds were also likely to have come from aid pouring into Gaza during and after a bloody 50-day conflict with Israel that ended August 26 as well as from friendly donors such as Qatar.
Meanwhile a senior Hamas leader says the group is willing to talk directly to Israel reversing a previous ban.
In an interview with Al Quds TV to be broadcast later Thursday Hamas No. 2 Musa Abu Marzouk says 'Hamas is willing to talk directly to the Israelis' over issues including Gaza border crossings and prisoner releases.
Hamas which formally governed Gaza until early June had been unable to pay many of its employees from October 2013 due to a biting financial crisis caused by Egypt's closure of cross-border tunnels through which most of movement's financial support was delivered.
Other employees had received only a partial salary.
It was the first time in months the employees had been paid with workers each receiving between 1000-4500 shekels ($276-$1240/215-960 euros) depending on their pay grade the ministry said.
Although the Hamas government technically stood down on June 2 handing over power to a Ramallah-based government of national consensus it has remained the de facto power in Gaza.
Hamas officials who wished to remain anonymous told AFP it was able to begin paying the backlog due to tax monies it had collected enabling it to cover partial payment of all salaries from October through to May.
Political analyst Mukhaimer Abu Saada said funds were also likely to have come from aid pouring into Gaza during and after a bloody 50-day conflict with Israel that ended August 26 as well as from friendly donors such as Qatar.
Meanwhile a senior Hamas leader says the group is willing to talk directly to Israel reversing a previous ban.
In an interview with Al Quds TV to be broadcast later Thursday Hamas No. 2 Musa Abu Marzouk says 'Hamas is willing to talk directly to the Israelis' over issues including Gaza border crossings and prisoner releases.
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