Entered into the database on Saturday, July 30th, 2005 @ 12:54:14 MST
Workers in the Palestinian health sector have started an open hunger
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. "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 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.
live in abject poverty in one of the most densely populated places on the planet.