Special report: Hamas-led cabinet takes office

    GAZA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Hamas-led Palestinian government, which is facing severe financial shortages, said on Thursday that it had made some progress in the transfer of aid into government accounts via local Palestinian banks.

    Hamas cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad told local radio the "Voice of Palestine" that some progress was achieved regarding the aid transfer, saying "Let's wait a little until we make sure the money is transferred."

    The new Palestinian government, which took office in late March, has been facing a stringent economic crisis and it has failed so far to pay the long overdue March salaries to over 160,000 government employees.

    But the Hamas cabinet has recently announced that it has garnered enough aid to pay the March salaries, but the delivery of the much needed money has been delayed since no bank is willing to help transfer the money out of fear for possible sanctions by the United States which is heading the campaign to isolate the Hamas government.

    Palestinian Prime Minister and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haneya called on the Palestinian banks on Wednesday to take "brave decisions" to defy the pressure of Washington.

    The United States and the European Union, two key donors, have cut off direct aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government since Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and honor previous Palestinian-Israeli agreements.

    Israel, meanwhile, has also halted the monthly transfer of about 50 million U.S. dollars of tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians since Hamas won the parliamentary elections in January. Enditem