menu-control
The Jerusalem Post

Hamas begins paying late salaries in Gaza - ministry

 
 Members of Qassam Brigades choir attend a rally marking the 35th anniversary of the Hamas movement's founding, in Gaza City December 14, 2022.  (photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS)
Members of Qassam Brigades choir attend a rally marking the 35th anniversary of the Hamas movement's founding, in Gaza City December 14, 2022.
(photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS)

The payroll costs Hamas 125 million shekels ($34.5 million) per month.

Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip have begun distributing June salaries to around 50,000 public sector workers who had not been paid for almost three weeks, the local finance ministry said on Wednesday.

A delay in a monthly payroll grant from Qatar, a crucial aid donor to the impoverished Gaza enclave, a drop in tax revenue, and a jump in spending were to blame for the crisis, according to the Hamas-run ministry of finance.

Salama Marouf, chairman of the Hamas government media office, said the reception of nearly half of the Qatari $5-million monthly payroll grant and a loan from a Gaza local bank facilitated payment of wages on Wednesday, adding that the financial crisis persisted.

Paying public sector wages 

Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents live in poverty, and the economy is dependent on foreign aid. Qatar has paid hundreds of millions of dollars since 2014 for construction projects. It currently pays $30 million per month in stipends for families, fuel for electricity, and to help pay public sector wages.

Advertisement

The payroll costs Hamas 125 million shekels ($34.5 million) per month.

Three Palestinian children walk down a dirt road in the Burjeij refugee camp in Gaza (credit: HOWARD KAPLAN)
Three Palestinian children walk down a dirt road in the Burjeij refugee camp in Gaza (credit: HOWARD KAPLAN)

Gaza has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since 2007 when Hamas, which opposes peace with Israel, took control. Public sector employees have not received full salaries since 2013.

×
Email:
×
Email: