World Bulletin/News Desk

A number of Palestinian national unity government ministers are expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip from the occupied West Bank on Monday, a government minister said Saturday.

Labor Minister Mamoun Abu Shahla said the ministers would arrive in Gaza to assume their duties in it for the first time since the formation of the national unity government in June of this year.

He told The Anadolu Agency that Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah would not accompany the ministers to the blockaded Palestinian territory, citing what he described as "unforeseen circumstances."

Housing and Public Works Minister Mofeed Al-Hasayna said last week that a number of government workers would be arriving in Gaza on Sunday.

Hamadallah had earlier formed a committee to manage Gaza's border crossings, ordering the committee to be headed by Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh.

Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a reconciliation deal in April of this year, ending years of tension. The deal called for the formation of a national unity government.

The government was formed in June, but it has yet to assume control of the Gaza Strip, which has been overtaken by Hamas since 2007.