Palestinian health workers go on strike
Workers in the Palestinian health sector have started a strike that threatens to halt the provision of medical services in all government health clinics.
The strikers are demanding an increase in pay.
The strikers, numbering about 10,000 have staged intermittent short strikes in the past three weeks to press for their demands.
Wolfensohn talks
The hunger strike comes as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas held talks on Saturday with Middle East quartet envoy James Wolfensohn on the economic future of the impoverished Gaza Strip after Israel’s pullout.
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“President Abbas will discuss with Mr Wolfensohn ways of rebuilding infrastructure destroyed [by Israel] in the Gaza Strip following the withdrawal,” presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said.
The meeting is also likely to $3bn financial aid package pledged to the Palestinian Authority by the Group of Eight industrialised nations at their summit earlier this month.
About two-thirds of Gaza’s 1.3 million Palestinian residents
live in abject poverty in one of the most densely populated places on the planet.
Security forces protest
Tens of Palestinian Special Forces have demonstrated in Tulkarim to protest against a decision by the Palestinian Interior Ministry to merge them with the National Security apparatus.
The Palestinian Authority has drawn up a plan to restructure the security agencies and merge them into three bodies.