GAZA CITY: Public sector employees in the Gaza Strip went on strike Monday over unpaid salaries, amid a dispute between the two major Palestinian factions.
All government institutions closed their doors in the morning as the union of public employees called for a strike — the second in a month.
The union said the strike is necessary as staff have only received 40 percent of their salaries for five months.
Khalil Hamada, a spokesman for the union, said the strike was “part of protest activities that will continue until the government responds to the rights of the staff in full.”
The two major Palestinian factions, Islamists Hamas and the secular Fatah, signed a reconciliation agreement in October that was supposed to see Hamas hand back control of Gaza a decade after seizing the enclave.
Under the agreement the Fatah-dominated Palestinian government was meant to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of civil servants employed by Hamas until a final solution could be found.
But they have failed to implement the agreement, with the two sides trading blame over responsibility.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since seizing it from Fatah it in a near civil war in 2007, after a dispute over the result of parliamentary elections Hamas won.
Separately the fishermen’s union in Gaza also observed a strike on Monday, to protest the death of one of its members who was shot dead by Israeli forces the previous day.
Israel said the boat traveled outside Gaza’s designated fishing zone and ignored orders to stop, prompting naval forces to fire warning shots before shooting toward the vessel.
The union disputed this version of events.
Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and the territory has been under an Israeli blockade for more than 10 years.
Fishing off the northern part of the strip, adjacent to Israel, is limited to six nautical miles offshore and the Israeli navy regularly fires warning shots or at Palestinians who breach it.
Such incidents rarely result in deaths.
Public employees strike in Gaza over unpaid salaries
Public employees strike in Gaza over unpaid salaries
Anti-Daesh coalitions issues joint statement after Riyadh meeting
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of senior diplomatic and defense officials from the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh in Riyadh on Monday.
Saudi Vice Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji opened the meeting, which was co-chaired by US Special Envoy for Syria Ambassador Tom Barrack.
Participants expressed their appreciation to the Kingdom for hosting the meeting and for its continued role in supporting regional and international efforts to counter terrorism and promote stability.
Participants welcomed the comprehensive agreement between the Government of Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces, including the permanent ceasefire and arrangements for the civil and military integration of northeast Syria.
They noted the Government of Syria’s stated intention to assume national leadership of counter-Daesh efforts and expressed appreciation for the sacrifices made by the Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight against Daesh.
Participants also thanked the Government of Iraq for its continued leadership in the Defeat Daesh campaign.
The participants reaffirmed their priorities, including the swift transfer and safeguarding of Daesh detainees, third-country repatriation, the dignified reintegration of families from Al-Hol and Roj camps to their communities of origin, and continued coordination with Damascus and Baghdad on the future of the Defeat Daesh campaign in Syria and Iraq.
Participants welcomed the Syrian government as the 90th member of the D-Daesh Coalition. Coalition members underscored their readiness to work closely with the Syrian government and encouraged members to provide direct support to Syrian and Iraqi efforts.
Coalition defense officials highlighted the close coordination between diplomatic and military lines of effort.
Participants received briefings on the current Defeat Daesh campaign, including ongoing detainee transfer operations.
Officials commended Iraq’s efforts to securely detain Daesh fighters and welcomed Syria’s assumption of responsibility for detention facilities and displacement camps housing Daesh fighters and their family members.
Participants reiterated the need for countries to take responsibility for and repatriate their nationals from Iraq and Syria.
Coalition members thanked Iraq for its leadership and recognized that the transfer of detainees into Iraqi custody is essential to regional security.
They reaffirmed their shared commitment to defeating Daesh in Iraq and Syria and pledged continued support to both governments in securing Daesh-affiliated detainees.
