Tens of thousands of Palestinian government employees went on strike in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday in protest against unpaid salaries and the perceived failings of the Hamas-led government.
It was the first major work stoppage of its kind since Hamas came to power in March and amounted to a challenge of the government's authority by the rival Fatah movement, which strongly backs the strike.
Most schools across the West Bank, home to 2.4 million Palestinians, were closed on the first day of the new academic year, with teachers among the strongest adherents to the open-ended action, called for by a major workers' union. Government offices were also shuttered as a large portion of the government's 165,000 employees went along with the protest.
Support for the strike was stronger in the West Bank, where Fatah enjoys substantial backing, but was also surprisingly robust in Gaza, the coastal strip that is a Hamas stronghold.
Most government workers are affiliated to Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been in a power struggle with Hamas since the Islamists won a surprise victory in elections held in January.
Government wages have been largely unpaid since Hamas took power six months ago, prompting Western countries to cut off aid to the Palestinian government because Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation. Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction and has carried out suicide bombings in the past.
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