Hamas prevents senior UN staffer from leaving Gaza

A United Nations official says the Islamic terrorist group Hamas has prevented a senior employee of the international organization from leaving the Gaza Strip.

The official says Mahmoud Daher, the Palestinian head of the World Health Organization’s Gaza office, was barred from leaving. The official speaks on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the incident.

The official says Hamas announced two weeks ago that international organizations would need a Hamas-issued exit permit when leaving the territory into Israel. The organization had previously been exempt from acquiring the permit. The UN asked for a month to study the request.

The move appears to be an attempt by Hamas to exert its influence on the UN, which provides assistance to hundreds of thousands of impoverished Gazans.