A senior official in the Hamas political bureau said on Wednesday that one of the most prominent factors behind the renewal of the marches on the Gaza Strip border, and the anger among the Sultan, is the withholding of the salaries of nearly 50,000 government employees in Gaza, including senior employees, due to the reduction in Qatari funding for salaries By half, contrary to the agreements concluded with Qatar following the return marches in 2018.

This statement came in a report by Jackie Khoury, the Palestinian affairs correspondent for the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz.

According to the official, Qatar has not yet agreed to the request for increased funding to ensure the payment of salaries, which prompted the movement to pay the salaries of its employees by 55%, and this increases the pressure on the movement’s leadership.

The newspaper quoted Palestinian sources as saying that the leadership in Gaza is seeking to calm the situation on the border and prevent the escalation of protests that might lead to a direct confrontation with Israel.

These sources indicated that the aim of the border marches at the present time is to indicate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and to convey a message that ignoring the plight of the Palestinians will lead to a security escalation.