RAMALLAH, West Bank — Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets recently to decry a Palestinian Authority (PA) decision to slash its employees’ salaries in the Gaza Strip by 30-50%. The move is prompting a meeting that could change the relationship between PA rival political parties Hamas and Fatah — for better or worse.
The April 4 salary cut announcement sparked a public outcry from Palestinian factions, human rights organizations and government employees, thousands of whom demonstrated April 8 and demanded that Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah be dismissed.