The caretaker government detectives in the Gaza Strip seized inventory from several shops and vendors on Saturday, which a police report said displayed "immoral words."

The clothing, manufactured in Gaza City, was mostly cotton shirts with the words "Porn Man Clothing" written on them in bold letters.

Detectives said the clothing was uncovered during a routine inspection tour, and was traced back to a manufacturer in the Ash-Shuja'iyyah neighborhood of Gaza City, where a report said two merchants and a printer worked to create and supply the goods to vendors.

Police said the supplies and the merchandise were confiscated and the individuals involved in making the clothing brought in for questioning.

Investigators said charges would likely be laid.

The seizure on grounds of immorality is the latest in a string of small measures being taken by the Gaza government to enforce what critics call inappropriate laws on personal status.

On 18 July, the Gaza Interior Ministry issued a ban on women smoking the water pipe (arghileh) in public places, with Police spokesman Ayman Batneiji telling Ma'an that women smoking water pipes in public places "contradicts" Palestinian traditions and values.

The decision will be enforced, he said, though news reports indicated otherwise.

Earlier bans targeted women riding motorbikes in Gaza, wedding parties that extended beyond midnight, and the mandating of conservative uniforms at government schools.

Ma'an/Ab