Health, education sector strikes in Gaza a plot, Hamas says

Aug 31, 2008, 20:40 GMT

Gaza - Strikes in the education and health sectors in the Gaza Strip were considered by the Islamic Hamas movement to be a plot against its regime in the enclave, officials said Sunday.

Ismail al-Ashqar, a Hamas lawmaker in Gaza, said the strikes were 'politically motivated' and accused Fatah and Palestinian Authority leaders in Ramallah of being behind the actions.

The Gaza Strip has been under the Islamic group's rule since it routed forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of the secular Fatah party last year, who maintained control over the West Bank.

The teachers' union, considered to be allied with Abbas, had originally called for a five-day strike last week, at the start of the school year, but has now extended it for another five-days.

On Saturday, medical workers also started to strike saying it was in protest of politically-motivated firings of health professionals by the Hamas government.

The extent of the adherence to the medical sector strike was debated by officials, with some saying it hit 90 percent of the workforce, but Hamas downplayed the impact.

The school teachers' strike, which was said to be in response to similar sackings in that sector, prompted Hamas to fire educators heeding the union's call, and replaced them with new teachers who are accused by opponents of the move as being inexperienced.