GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Fatah and Hamas have agreed to allow 3,000 employees from the Palestinian Authority (PA) who were abstaining from work to return to their duties at the various ministries in Gaza. But this agreement has raised grave concerns among the employees, who fear losing the side work that has provided them additional streams of income over the past seven years.
Following Hamas’ military takeover of Gaza in June 2007, the PA ordered its employees in all government and security institutions of the Gaza Strip to completely stop work, but said they would continue receiving their salaries.