(Christian Science Monitor) Erin Cunningham and Safwat Kahlout - Hamas has failed to pay in full the monthly salaries of its roughly 30,000 civilian and security employees in the past two months. In response, Gaza's Hamas-run government has imposed new taxes in recent weeks. Cigarette packs cost a dollar more than they did last month. "The Egyptian authorities have recently been monitoring and cracking down on financial transactions between Egypt and Gaza," says Gaza-based political analyst Mkhaimar Abusaada. In addition, on May 10, Arab Bank said it was closing its three Gaza branches, severing one of the last financial lifelines from the outside world.
2010-05-25 09:23:02Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive