Haniyeh promises salaries within days

Palestinian prime minister pledges to pay salaries of thousands of government employees who have not received wages since March due to international funds freeze

Reuters
Published: 05.30.06, 17:34 / Israel News

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh pledged on Tuesday to pay salaries within days to thousands of government employees who have not received wages since March as a result of an international funds freeze.

Haniyeh, in comments to his Hamas-led government, did not disclose the source of the funds. Palestinian banks have so far refused to transfer money to the Authority, fearing US sanctions.

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"I would like to announce that the Ministry of Finance will begin to pay a full month's wages to those earning a monthly salary of up to NIS 1,500 (USD 332). The number of those employees is 40,000," Haniyeh said.

He also promised to pay each of the other 125,000 government workers, who earn higher salaries, an advance of 1,500 shekels. The pledged payments could total nearly USD 55 million, a sum the government could partially meet using internal tax revenues.

Abbas' deadline to end this week

International donors have frozen payments to the Palestinian government, demanding Hamas, which came to power after a January election, recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous interim peace deals.

Hamas, whose charter calls for Israel's destruction, has said negotiations with the Jewish state would be a waste of time.

Haniyeh made the pledge as the clock ticked down on a 10-day ultimatum from moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to soften its hard line against Israel or face a referendum on peacemaking in July. Abbas's deadline ends this weekend.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, some 1,200 unpaid civil servants held a protest outside the prime minister's office, demanding their pay.

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