The Palestinian Authority will delay paying the January wages of 137,000 public employees for at least two weeks because of a severe post-election budget deficit, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday, according to the AP.
The Palestinian Authority needs $116 million to cover the monthly payroll. After the election victory of Hamas last Wednesday, Israel said it was suspending its monthly tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority, worth about $45 million dollars.
Palestinian officials stated Wednesday that Saudi Arabia and Qatar had promised $33 million in quick aid to help ease the budget problem.
Gaza Explosion
An explosion took place in one of the rockets that Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, was trying to fire against Israel on Thursday.
Medical sources said two persons were injured, describing their wounds as moderate, RNA reported.
The Israeli military denied any involvement in this incident, saying that it did not hit the site the Palestinian operatives were at.
