Israel Matzav

Over the weekend, Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek of Hamas said the government would deposit one month's overdue pay on Monday into the bank accounts of the lowest-paid civil servants, who earn up to 1,500 shekels ($330, €260) a month. He said remaining workers would be paid later because the government doesn't have money to pay them now.

A senior banking official said Monday, however, that the government still didn't have the money to cover the promised payments but had persuaded some banks to advance the money. The government, he said, gave assurances to reimburse the banks at an unspecified time.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because talks were private. The Finance Ministry had no immediate comment on his claim.

The Palestinian banking association published an advertisement in local papers on Monday saying banks still had not received money from the government. The one exception was the Bank of Palestine, where about 10,300 civil servants hold accounts. Using tax revenues deposited with the bank, it started paying partial salary payments Sunday night.

About 30 people burst into the main branch of The Arab Bank on Monday, demanding the promised wages. They screamed at the bank manager and threw water on his desk. [At least it wasn't dirt or gunpowder or explosives. CiJ] Bank officials alerted police to remove the protesters, and the branch was shut down.

One of the protesters, policeman Talal Bustan, said he went to a post office to draw his salary, but was told there to go to the bank, which told him to go to the post office.

"No one is truthful in this country," Bustan said. [You don't say. CiJ]

...

The decision to pay only the lowest-income earners generated resentment among those who earn more and were given nothing.

In the West Bank town of Nablus, policeman Mahmoud Hanain, 28, was disqualified from receiving partial payment of his wages because he makes 1,509 shekels a month, or $2 (€1.6) above the cutoff line.

"They can take the 9 shekels, I don't need them," Hanain said. "Just give me the money."