Gaza's economic misery forces Hamas to abandon celebrations

[Haia]

The mounting economic crisis in Gaza has driven the territory's Hamas rulers to cancel this week's planned anniversary celebrations

Palestinian children protest against power cuts in front of a Palestinian electric company in Gaza City in November Photo: AP








By Robert Tait, Jerusalem

5:56PM GMT 01 Dec 2013


Gaza's worsening economic crisis prompted the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers to call off their forthcoming anniversary rally on Sunday after the Islamist movement's leaders judged it would be insensitive to stage festivities amid widespread suffering.

The unprecedented decision came as the crowded coastal enclave continued to endure prolonged power outages that has seen regular electricity supplies cut by up to 18 hours a day, forcing hospitals and other public utilities to slash services.

The move is in stark contrast to last year, when Khaled Mashal, Hamas' leader-in-exile, was given a hero's welcome when he entered Gaza from Egypt to attend the movement's 25th anniversary celebrations, culminating in a mass rally attended by an estimated half-a-million supporters.

Ashraf Abu Zaved, a Hamas official, said the funds originally allocated to this year's event, scheduled for December 7, would instead by diverted to "alleviate the suffering" of the local population.

"The decision to cancel the rally is a message of solidarity recognizing the difficult circumstances experienced by our people in Gaza," AP quoted him as saying.