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Friday, January 30, 2009

Despite its ouster from Gaza, Palestinian Authority paying Hamas military

JERUSALEM — The Palestinian Authority is financing portions of Hamas's military, nearly two years after its ouster from the Gaza Strip.   

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs reported that the PA pays the salaries of up to 12,000 Hamas military and security personnel. The report, authored by Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh, said the Hamas salaries were being paid by order of PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

"It is widely believed that the PA in Ramallah only pays the salaries of civil service employees in Gaza to encourage them to stay at home to avoid working with Hamas," the report said. "However, PA Prime Minister Fayyad also pays the monthly salaries of between 6,000 and 12,000 Hamas Executive Force operatives in Gaza, in line with the 2007 Mecca national unity agreement."

Also In This Edition

Titled "Can the Palestinian Authority's Fatah Forces Retake Gaza: Obstacles and Opportunities," the report said the PA has been paying Hamas military personnel salaries as part of a reconciliation accord in 2007. The salaries, transferred in cash by the Israeli government, has continued despite the PA's ouster from the Gaza Strip.

The report said the Hamas personnel were paid from the PA's monthly allocation of $120 million to the Gaza Strip. Diker and Abu Toameh said the cash transfers have continued even through the Hamas-Israel war in January 2009.

"The height of irony in this regard may have been seen during the Gaza war when Hamas fighters received their salaries from the PA at Gaza City's Shifa Hospital which was immune from IDF fire," the report said.

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