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Hundreds of Angry Palestinians Demand Salaries
 Hundreds of Palestinian security officials stormed banks and burned tires yesterday, demanding the banks return money deducted from a meager cash advance they received after months of going without wages. About 80 security officers, many of them armed with assault rifles, stormed up the stairs of the Arab Bank in Gaza City, parking themselves in front of the managers office and refusing to leave until they spoke to him.Suffering the impact of crippling international sanctions, the ruling Hamas party has been unable to pay 165,000 government workers since taking office in March. Israel, the United States and other Western countries have said they will not lift the sanctions until the Hamas group recognizes Israel and renounces violence, something it has so far refused to do. Since March, employees have received only partial salaries in drips and drabs, forcing them to take bank loans and buy food on credit. Yesterday, the workers discovered the banks had deducted some of the advance to cover the loans. Posted by: Fred 2006-08-20 |
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