Palestinian sources said that the employees would stop working until their salaries are paid.

"It would be followed by more protests all over the territories as long as the salaries are not paid," said the sources.

Tens of thousands of employees signed on a memorandum, urging Prime Minister Ismail Haneya and Parliament Speaker Aziz Dweik to help pay their salaries for March and April as soon as possible, according to the sources.

"We, the employees of the Palestinian Authority, have not received our salaries and the government should secure our salaries as soon as possible," the official memorandum read.

"Paying our salaries would help us to stay steadfast in spite of the Israeli violations and crimes, the closure, wall and all the Israeli measures," said the memorandum.

The protesting employees called on the Hamas-led government to accelerate the payment of their salaries because they are responsible for feeding thousands of Palestinian families and their innocent children have nothing to do with politics and cannot stand any longer without being fed.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said that the government had collected enough money but "the problem is with the United States that prevents the transfer of the money to the government."

The Hamas-led government went almost bankrupt due to western aid cutoff since it took office in March.

The cash-strapped cabinet has been unable to pay the salaries of 160,000 employees for both March and April.