The website of the Hamas finance ministry in Gaza announced Thursday that salaries of police officers and members of the Izz Ad-Din Al-Kassam terror wing were going up 9.5 percent and to make a five percent payment of back salaries. The raise also applies to the teachers Hamas hired when they fired teachers hired by the Palestinian Authority. Hamas said the dramatic raises were to cover three years of inflation.
It was reported that Hamas has deposited the funds for the wages in shekels after paying in dollars for many years. Because of cash-flow problems, the payments are being made in stages, with the first 1,500 shekels being paid the day after the salary, then the next day up to 2,000 shekels, the following day up to 2,500 shekels, etc.