All banks across the Gaza Strip announced a general strike on Tuesday, protesting an attack against a local branch on Monday by de facto police.
Banks announced action after the Monetary Authority called on branches to respond to the attack against a Palestine Bank in the Ar-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, in which 1 million shekels was seized by de facto security forces who were executing a court order demanding the branch return the amount to the Patients' Friends Society.
Despite the order, the Monetary Authority reportedly froze the funds following a dispute with the board of directors.
A statement from the society in Gaza said the money in question was for charitable medical work, and failing to return the sum "would put the lives of patients at risk." The society added that in July 2009, the Monetary Authority decided to freeze the transfer of funds "based on political decisions that have no relation with the society itself."
The medical charity further said it had filed a court petition to ensure the return of the funds, but the court date was postponed for over eight months, despite a previous court order calling for the release of all funds owed to the society. "What happened yesterday was the implementation of the decision by force. Bank attorneys who were following up with the case confirmed the integrity of the judicial decision."
A judge had ordered a bailiff to execute the decision as the Ar-Rimal branch had failed to return the money.
De facto Ministry of Interior spokes Ihab Al-Ghussein called the Monetary Authority's call for a general strike an act "encouraging of citizen terrorism and chaos."
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