JERUSALEM (CNS): Some Christians in the Gaza Strip – including an official of Catholic Relief Services – expressed concern about their future after Islamic militants of Hamas took control of the Palestinian territory.
Omar Shaban, CRS project manager for Gaza, said he did not know how Hamas, an Islamic extremist political and military movement, would view the US bishops’ international relief and development agency.
CRS had been working with the unity government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before five days of infighting between the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas movements led to the Hamas takeover of Gaza.
“With Fatah as a secular organisation we had no problems, but with Hamas I am not sure how they will perceive us,” Mr Shaban said.
He also noted that CRS no longer has a governmental body to work with in the Gaza Strip, since, as a US non-government organisation, CRS is forbidden to have contact with Hamas. The US Government considers Hamas a terrorist organisation.
Israel has closed its borders with the Gaza enclave, which is dependent on imports and foreign aid, and fuel was beginning to run short, Mr Shaban said in mid-June.
He said Gaza’s 1.5 million residents, 80 per cent of whom live under the poverty line, only had about two weeks of basic supplies left.
The United States, European countries and Israel imposed an embargo and boycott on the West Bank and Gaza after Hamas came to power in March 2006, but those countries prepared to begin channeling aid to Mr Abbas on June 15 in an effort to shore up his new emergency government in the West Bank.
The Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated by 30 miles of Israel.
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