"Economic institutions and infrastructures in Gaza have been destroyed
and unemployment and poverty rates increased drastically," the PFLP said.
In an April 27 statement, PFLP called on Hamas to halt its tax policy
and stop the intimidation of Gazans. PFLP said the Islamic regime has been
forcing small businesses, including food vendors and taxi drivers, to pay
large sums of money.
In its statement, PFLP said Hamas was confiscating properties of
Palestinians who have been living abroad. The Palestinian faction said
apartments and houses were seized and granted to Hamas security commanders.
"Civilians have been detained and interrogated in a baseless and
humiliating manner," the statement said.
Hamas was also said to have imposed a new tax on property. PFLP said one
tax was on residential structures, with owners charged up to $3,000.
The Islamic regime has acknowledged a cash crisis and the need for
additional revenue. But officials said Hamas was merely enforcing a longtime
tax policy rather than imposing new fees.
Unemployment in the Gaza Strip was said to have reached 60 percent in
2010. On April 25, a key employer, the Arab Bank, was reported to have fired
nearly 140 staffers from three branches.
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