Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas decided on Tuesday morning to declare early retirement for 6,000 Gaza employees whose salary is paid by the PA, according to Israel Defense Forces Radio.
A PA spokesman said this would be a "temporary step" and that the situation would be restored after Hamas retracts its "recent divisive steps". He added that the PA is demanding that Hamas abolish the body it established as a substitute for the government, as a condition for restoring the funding.