Hamas deducting wages to pay for electricity

Hamas says that it will deduct 170 shekels ($45) from everyone's wages this month in order to pay for the fuel for Gaza's electric plant.

There are about 30,000 government employees in Gaza, meaning that in theory some $1.3 million will be available to pay the bills every month.

A plan was floated last month to garnish the wages of PA employees in Gaza for the same purpose.

However, the head of Gaza's electric company complained that he had no infrastructure to track the customers and the payments, and it sounds like this will turn into a new debacle.

Gaza's electric company is $1.3 billion in debt.