Why were 3,000 Gazans excluded from Qatari grant to pay salaries?
Hamas is accusing the Ramallah government of tampering with the list of Gazan government workers who were supposed to receive payment as part of a recent grant from Qatar.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — At post offices across the Gaza Strip Aug. 17, Gaza's government workers started collecting their salaries, funded by Qatar's grant to Gaza pledged in July. However, about 3,000 employees were surprised to receive nothing.
Ashraf Jadallah, who works in the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Gaza City, arrived at the post office on Aug. 17 to find his name missing from the list of beneficiaries.
“I get paid 1,300 shekels a month, about $330. However, I haven’t been paid fully for many months now. I had hoped to get paid in full to pay our house's rent and support my family of six children who are on the threshold of a new school year,” Jadallah, who lives north of Gaza City, told Al-Monitor.
Mohammed Abdul Hadi was counting on the money to pay off his debts that have been accumulating for more than two years, but was also shocked to learn that his name did not figure on the list of beneficiaries.
