Israel to deny funds access to Hamas

Occupied Jerusalem: Israel plans to impose a blanket economic embargo on Gaza, denying the Hamas administration access to funds, including Palestinian tax revenues transferred to President Mahmoud Abbas, senior Israeli officials said on Tuesday.

In addition to barring Palestinian tax funds from reaching Gaza to run Hamas-controlled government agencies and to pay salaries, Israel is considering a ban on private transfers to individual Gazans through Western Union and other financial institutions, said a senior Israeli official.