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Hamas bars former PNA employees from returning to positions in Gaza

Xinhua,November 29, 2017 Adjust font size:

GAZA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) said Islamic Hamas movement prevented Wednesday dozens of former Palestinian National Authority (PNA) employees from returning to their positions they left in 2007 when Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip.

The employees gathered at various ministries in Gaza, where Hamas police and employees appointed after 2007 prevented them from reaching their offices and desks, according to an official PNA statement emailed to reporters.

Hussein al-Araj, the Palestinian minister of local governing, arrived from Ramallah early Wednesday to run his ministry in Gaza, was also barred from entering his office.

On Wednesday morning, the PNA employees headed to the various ministries in Gaza to take over their former positions after the consensus government called on them to get back to work a day earlier.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking Egyptian security intelligence delegation has been holding dialogue with Hamas and PNA officials for three days to iron out the employees crisis.

However, Hamas said in an emailed press statement that the consensus government of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah "is fully responsible for creating a status of chaos and confusion at several ministries in the Gaza Strip."

"The government's decision to call on its employees to get back to their positions without abiding by the signed understandings and agreements is irresponsible," said the Hamas statement.

"The only choice for the consensus government is to abide by the agreements and respect them," Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in the statement.

Hamas movement and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo on Oct. 12, where both agreed to a gradual transfer of power to the Palestinian Authority within four months until Feb. 1, 2018.

Yousef al-Mahmoud, spokesman of the national unity government, said the government "expresses its deep sorrow" that the employees were prevented from getting back to their positions. Enditem

 

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