Banknotes for Gaza

EL QODS. The World Bank called Israel to allow the transfer of banknotes in Gaza to pay the civil servants, warning that the crisis of liquidities could provoke the downfall of the banking system in this Palestinian territory under the isreali blockade.

• 'We exhort the government of Israel to act quickly to allow the different branches from the banks in Gaza to have liquidities before the feast (Moslem feast) of the Adha on Monday', Says the WB in a communiqué Saturday. 'A regulation passes by a transfer of the banknotes'. 'The crisis of liquidities could drive to the downfall of the banking system in Gaza, put more in peril the Palestinian institution role and have serious humanitarian repercussions, added the World Bank. Tuesday, the Palestinian prime minister Salaam Fayyad exhorted Israel to allow the entry of banknotes in Gaza to be able to pay for the wages of the civil servants, while underlining that the problem was especially serious that it occurred before the feast of the Adha Aid. of 47 millions of shekels (11,5 millions of dollars) solve only the problem, according to him, of the banks of Gaza, where live 1,5 million of Palestinians, according to the evaluations. However, to accomplish the transactions bound to the wages, these banks need 250 millions of shekels. All banks operating in Gaza had closed Thursday because of liquidities. The Palestinian authority has been dislodged by the in Gaza in June 2007 but it continues to pour the wages of a few 70.000 civil servants in this territory.  
• Israel reinforced in November the blockade imposed in Gaza since June 2007, closing all points of passage of the territory and only allowing unusually the entry of products of basis and humanitarian helps.  
• This measure has been adopted in riposte to the resumption of shootings from Gaza of rockets toward Israel after an Israeli operation in this territory.  
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•  AFP