Jordan warns Hamas against attacking banks

VIDEO - A Jordanian government spokesman warned Monday that Jordan will close the branches of Jordanian banks in the Palestinian territories should they be targeted by Hamas activists.

The statement indicated continuing tension between the Palestinians' ruling party and Jordan, which has accused Hamas of stockpiling weapons for attacks in the kingdom.

Hours before Jordanian spokesman Nasser Judeh issued the warning, about 30 Palestinians caused a rumpus inside the main branch of Arab Bank in Gaza City, demanding unpaid government salaries.

The people screamed at the Jordanian bank's manager and threw water on his desk, forcing staff to call in the police and close the branch.

Not all salaries paid

Following irregularities in the transfer of salaries to Palestinian government employees, Palestinian sources in the West Bank and Gaza Strip reported that several groups of government workers discovered that they did not receive their wages or advance payments from the banks.

Video: Reuters

Palestinians reported on Sunday that dozens of government workers began receiving their salaries or advance payments on their salaries, which have been suspended for three months now.

Following the confusion and disorder in the Palestinian banks, the Arab Bank announced that it was forced to shut down a number of its branches due to disturbances. The confusion was created following the banks' reports that not all salaries were received, and that those received were not delivered to all the clerks, causing anger among some of them, who continued to repeatedly knock on the doors of the banks and automated teller machines in the Gaza Strip.

In the meantime, Palestinian sources reported Monday afternoon that a Hamas member was killed and another group activist was wounded in a mysterious explosion that occurred at the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Strip. The man killed was Ahmed Sari, a prominent member of Hamas' military wing, who was apparently hurt while building an explosive device. His wife and 6-year-old son were also injured.

Palestinian sources claimed that the blast was caused by Israeli fire directed at the camp. Hundreds of Palestinians gathered outside the house, with gunmen firing in the air and emergency services making their way to the place.

Israel denied any involvement in the incident.