Some 60 Palestinian militantsdemonstrated yesterday in front of the Palestinian cabinet'sheadquarters to protest the delay of their payment.The militants were members of al-Aqsa Brigades, armed wing ofthe Fatah movement.

More than 150,000 government employees did not receive theirsalaries in March, after the United States and the European Unioncut off financial aid to the Hamas-led government.Palestinian ministers said they hope the financial crisis wouldbe solved soon, adding that the cabinet is working to gain anamount of 120 million U.S. dollars from different sources.Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry sources announced that ForeignMinister Mahmoud al-Zahar would start on Friday a tour of severalArab counties in an effort to seek financial assistance.The sources said that the aim of the tour was to explain theposition of the cabinet and try to collect as much as he canfinancial support in addition to getting political support to thenew cabinet.

Al-Zahar will stop first in Cairo to meet with Arab Leaguechief Amr Moussa and then go to Jordan, Syria, Kuwait and SaudiArabia.

The European Union and the United States announced on Fridaythat they decided to suspend direct aid to the PalestinianNational Authority (PNA) after Hamas failed to meet threeconditions -- renouncing violence, recognizing Israel's existenceand honoring previous Palestinian-Israeli deals.Israel has also halted the monthly transfer of about 50 milliondollars of tax revenues it collects on behalf of the PNA sinceHamas won the parliamentary elections in January.

The Palestinians have been largely dependent on financial aidfrom the West.