Hamas warns of delay in payment for Gaza employees

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Sunday warned of any more delay in paying the arrears to the civil servants who worked under the outgoing Hamas-led government in Gaza Strip.
"Any delay in the issue of paying the arrears will act like a detonator for any agreement with Fatah," Salah Al-Bardweel, a Hamas spokesman, said.
The Movement demands the unity government, formed few months before, to pay the arrears for 40,000 civil servants, who were appointed by Hamas and have not received their money for six months.
In his statement to a Gaza radio, Bardaweel said the return of disapproving civil servants to work has to go in line with what was agreed upon between the two movements.
The crisis involves thousands of employees, both civilians and military, who have been receiving their salaries from the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah.
Local media today quoted a source in the Palestinian Government as saying that the salaries would be available as of Monday in Gaza and West Bank ATMs and banks operating in both.
However, the source added, this covers the arrears of the Palestinian Authority civil servants and pensioners, declining to comment on reports that the employees who used to work under the former Hamas government in the Strip through a third party before Eid Adha (Greater Bairam) that falls on Saturday.