The Gaza police have continued to close banks and prevent the Palestinian Authority (PA) employees from accessing their salaries, in a step to protest against the withholding of the former Gaza government employee salaries.
The police are reported to have assaulted a number of people including two journalists and a woman in the context of preventing people from reaching the banks.
According to Al Mezan’s field investigations and the head of the Palestinian Monetary Authority, on Thursday, 5 June 2014, the banks in Gaza were prevented carrying out their work by police decision.
The police assaulted journalists Mahmoud Al Louh and Yousif Hammad while they were covering an assembly for PA employees in front of the banks on Thursday.
On Sunday, 8 June 2014, a female police assaulted Huwaida Mansour Ad-Dremli, 39, while Ad-Dremli was photographing employees of the Palestine Islamic Bank who were gathered in front of one of its branches.
The Police were trying to disperse those assembled at the time.
The police beat Ad-Dremli with cudgels and she fell on the ground.
The police confiscated her hand bag and cell phone.
Ad-Dremli was carried to the hospital where doctors said she had sustained bruising and scratches.
The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continuous closure of the banks and the denial of employee access to salaries.
Al Mezan asserts that the continuous closure of banks will deteriorate the already critical economic situation in Gaza and will render Gaza’s vulnerable populations, including those that rely on monthly aid stipends from accessing much needed support.
Al Mezan asserts that preventing banks from operating as a protest measure violates the law.
Al Mezan reiterates its objection to any discrimination between employees in receiving their salaries.
Al Mezan also reiterates its call on the new Palestinian government and the political leaders in Fatah and Hamas to formulate a solution to the social and political problems related to the Palestinian internal split; the solutions must protect employees and their families and ensure respect of the law.
Al Mezan expresses its concern over the use of violence by police against civilians.
Ending abuses of human rights and public and private freedoms is the public’s request and must be part of ending the Palestinian internal split.
The new Palestinian government should respect this request and ensure accountability for those who are proven to have been involved in violating people’s rights, particularly law enforcement officers.
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