Protests within Fatah Movement, Factions Due to Measures against Gaza

A girl is carried as Palestinians celebrate after Hamas said it reached a deal with Palestinian rival Fatah, in Gaza City October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
A girl is carried as Palestinians celebrate after Hamas said it reached a deal with Palestinian rival Fatah, in Gaza City October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
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Protests within Fatah Movement, Factions Due to Measures against Gaza

A girl is carried as Palestinians celebrate after Hamas said it reached a deal with Palestinian rival Fatah, in Gaza City October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
A girl is carried as Palestinians celebrate after Hamas said it reached a deal with Palestinian rival Fatah, in Gaza City October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Angry protests within Fatah Movement and some factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) have intensified over measures taken by the Palestinian Authority against the Gaza Strip, especially the salary crisis and the lack of commitment to pay the full wages, as announced by President Mahmoud Abbas during the recent National Council conference in Ramallah.

Fatah Movement in the Gaza Strip decided to carry out a series of measures in protest of the government’s policy towards the sector’s employees. The decision came during a prolonged meeting on Wednesday at the residence of the Movement’s chief in Gaza, Ahmed Halas.

“We will exercise our natural right to end those measures by legal and legitimate means, and we will not abandon our national and moral responsibilities in defending the rights of our people, mainly the martyrs and the wounded and our heroic families, as well as all the employees who have borne the burden of the struggle and contributed to the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority,” Fatah Movement in Gaza said in a statement.

“The natural solution to address all the problems of Gaza begins with the government of national accord assuming its full responsibility in the southern provinces alike the northern governorates, and enable it to extend full control over all aspects of official work without interference from any organization or party,” the statement added.

The Movement in Gaza held Hamas responsible for obstructing the handover of ministries in Gaza to the national accord government. In this regard, it called on the organization to implement the agreement which was reached in Cairo last year.

Fatah called on the Palestinian president to direct the government to immediately disburse all state employees’ salaries.

In parallel, dozens of PA employees in Gaza held a strike on Wednesday at the Unknown Soldiers’ Square in Gaza city. Protesters, who included families of martyrs, carried banners demanding the government to pay their salaries.



China's Xi Visits Morocco, Meets with Crown Prince

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters
Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters
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China's Xi Visits Morocco, Meets with Crown Prince

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters
Chinese President Xi Jinping. Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a short visit to Morocco on Thursday, according to state media from both countries.
Xi was welcomed in Casablanca by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and the visit reflected the strong bonds of friendship, cooperation, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, Morocco's MAP said.
The Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch met Xi at the airport, where Xi and Hassan had a "cordial conversation", China's state broadcaster CCTV said.
Xi made the visit after being in Brazil for the G20 Summit.
China has stepped up investments in Morocco's infrastructure and rail sector in recent years.
Morocco's geographic location close to Europe, its free trade agreements with key EU and US markets and its existing automotive industry, make it attractive to Chinese electric vehicle battery makers.
In June, Chinese EV battery manufacturer Gotion High Tech picked Morocco to set up Africa's first gigafactory for a total cost of $1.3 billion.