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The Hamas-controlled Ministry of the Interior on Sunday issued an order banning women from smoking the nargila in public places in the Gaza Strip.The ban is the latest in a series of restrictions imposed by the Hamas government on women in the Gaza Strip.Earlier this year, Hamas banned female lawyers from appearing in court without a hijab. Women have also been banned from visiting salons where men work as hairdressers.Ehab Ghissin, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said that the decision to ban women from smoking the nargila in public was taken because the practice "violated social norms and traditions."He said the ban also applied to minors under the age of 18.The spokesman said that owners of cafes and restaurants, especially those located near the beach, have been instructed by the police to enforce the ban on the nargila.