Hamas has run out of passports
Gaza City, 2008 Aug 22, PressTV
A filed photo shows a Palestinian holds his passport.
The Fatah authorities in the West Bank have stopped sending passports to Gaza while thousands of Gazans are waiting to cross the border.
The Hamas movement officials say they have run out of passports, this is while documents are still being issued in the West Bank which is governed by Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday.
Head of the Hamas-run Gaza passport department in Gaza, Ahiad Hamada blamed Abbas for supporting the Israeli blockade on Gaza by halting passport issuance.
Hamas says about 10,000 Gazans apply for passports each month, and about 3,000 urgent cases are being processed.
Fatah officials say that passports have not arrived yet from France, but there is little doubt that the main motive is to penalize Gazans whose population is 1.4 m.
Last month, Abbas brought to a close monthly passports delivery to Gazans, saying supplies had run out.
Thousands of Palestinians, who intended to go abroad through Israel and Egypt border crossings have to wait until the problem is settled by the two rivals.
Gaza's borders have remained closed save for very brief intervals since the elected government of Hamas took control of the area in June 2007 and Abbas cut off relations with Hamas.
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