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Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh said “any deductions from our economic rights” would be denied.
According to a plan approved by Israeli authorities, taxes collected by Israel and destined for Gaza will be collected in Norway instead of going to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited autonomy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It will be stored.
“The frozen funds will not be transferred to the Palestinian Authority and will remain in the hands of third countries,” a statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Sunday said.
“Funds or their consideration may not be transferred under any circumstances, even through a third party, without the approval of the Israeli Minister of Finance,” the ministry said.
In line with an agreement reached in the 1990s, Israel collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinians and sends them monthly payments pending Treasury approval.
Although the PA was expelled from the Strip in 2007, many of the enclave’s public sector employees continued to work and receive salaries from transferred tax revenue.
But on October 7, when Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented offensive into southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people and taking about 240 prisoners, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics, Almost a month after the attack, Israeli authorities decided to withhold the planned funds. For the Gaza Strip.
In response to the deduction of the money, the PA refused to accept a partial transfer of the money.
“Any deductions from our economic rights or any conditions imposed by Israel that prevent the PA from paying the people of the Gaza Strip are rejected by us,” senior PA official Hussein al-Sheikh told X Ta.
“We call on the international community to stop this act based on piracy and theft of Palestinian money and force Israel to remit all of our money,” he added.
Nour Odeh, a political analyst based in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said Israel was using tax revenue to “punish” and “weaken” the PA.
“This is a way for Israel to assert how much control it has over everything, including the PA’s ability to function. It is unclear whether the PA will accept the terms as it would be humiliating,” she told Al Jazeera.
“[WIthholding the revenues] This will have a huge impact as those employed by the PA will not receive a salary at a time when many are starving due to Israel’s siege and war. People need that money to survive. ”
Far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir was the only government lawmaker to oppose the plan to transfer funds to Norway.
Ben Gvir said the plan does not guarantee that funds will not be transferred to Gaza.
“Last week they started moving flour trucks, but now they are making decisions that do not guarantee that funds will not reach the Nazis from Gaza,” the far-right leader said in X, Benjamin Netanyahu The Prime Minister “always” moves the “red line”, he added.
The issue has been a source of friction within Israel’s wartime cabinet, with Defense Minister Yoav Galant calling for funds to be distributed to maintain stability in the occupied West Bank.
Violence there has soared since the start of the war, amid near-daily raids on cities and villages and mass arrest operations by Israeli forces.
Since then, at least 319 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, according to U.N. figures, and more than 6,000 have been arrested, according to the Palestinian Prisoners of War Association advocacy group.
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