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Protests by Hamas government workers force banks to close

Just days after the new Palestinian reconciliation government was announced, a crisis has broken out because employees of the former Hamas government in Gaza have not received salaries, unlike their Palestinian Authority counterparts in the West Bank.
A Palestinian employee paid by Palestinian Authority stands next to a policeman as he waits to receive his salary outside a closed bank in Gaza City June 5, 2014. A Palestinian unity government formed by President Mahmoud Abbas and the Islamist Hamas group faced its first and serious challenge on Thursday when civil servants of Hamas, who were not on the payment list, scuffled with those cashing their salaries. Civil servants employed by Hamas since 2007 arrived and prevented employees paid by the Palestini
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Barely a few days after the new Palestinian government was announced on June 2, the first of many anticipated crises erupted, following the nonpayment of salaries to employees of the former Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, in contrast to what happened with their Palestinian Authority (PA) counterparts.

The occurrence led to chaos in many Gazan cities on June 4-5, when fights erupted in front of banks, leading to police intervention. This was followed by banks announcing that, starting on June 5, they would remain closed until further notice.

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