GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh announced Oct. 17 on a talk show on the official Palestine TV channel that President Mahmoud Abbas approved women enlisting in the Palestinian Authority (PA) security services in the Gaza Strip, with the aim to restructure these services.
This step, the first of its kind since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, is part of the PA government's plan to economically empower the Gaza Strip in the wake of the reconciliation agreement signed by Hamas and Fatah on Oct. 12 under the auspices of Egypt.