Palestinian unity efforts falter as PA team cuts Gaza visit short
Blaming Hamas for undermining work, delegation of Palestinian ministers leave Gaza ahead of schedule.
Palestinian ministers have unexpectedly cut short their rare visit to the Gaza Strip, saying Hamas was undermining unity efforts.
Ministers from the Palestinian unity government announced Monday that they were cutting short their visit to the Gaza Strip after Hamas allegedly created obstacles preventing them from carrying out their work.
Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah ordered them to leave and said he would arrive in Gaza in a week and a half's time when he returns from a visit to Indonesia and will attempt to work with Hamas overcome the issues.
Shortly before the announcement, a meeting between the Palestinian factions ended without results. The truncated visit reflected tensions threatening a year-old "unity" government, harming internationally-backed efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip after a war with Israel and complicating Palestinian statehood ambitions.
The eight Cabinet ministers, all from the West Bank, arrived on Sunday. They were supposed to spend the week in Gaza in hopes of wresting more control from the Islamic Hamas movement.
"Hamas has thwarted the visit, they didn't allow ministers to implement the plan they came for and help alleviate problems in Gaza," an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Palestinians in Gaza had hoped Fatah, headed by Palestinian Abbas, and Hamas could resolve a crisis over salaries owed to about 40,000 public servants hired by Hamas in the past eight years it has dominated the Gaza Strip.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied the allegations and countered that the West Bank ministers had sought to meet with senior employees at the hotel instead of going to their offices.
Abu Zuhri also said his group had not been consulted over the make-up of the committee set up to resolve the salaries issue, which he said was dominated by Fatah.
"We urge the government to continue to bear its responsibility towards Gaza employees without discrimination," he said.
Talal Okal, a Gaza political analyst, said the sides also differed over a decision by Hamas lawmakers to tax goods imported through Israel. "Only ministers should levy taxes and not Hamas," he said.
Abu Zuhri said the tax was needed to make up for a revenue shortfall and "prevent a total collapse of services" in Gaza.
Hamas took control of Gaza from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' forces in 2007. Abbas has since governed parts of the West Bank.
The rival factions agreed to form an apolitical unity government last year. But the unity effort has faltered, and Hamas remains firmly in control of Gaza.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report
