Ramallah/PNN /
The Palestinian government has once again rejected the recent Israeli deductions from Palestinian tax revenues, including a new ruling by an Israeli court that mandates additional deductions to compensate Jewish families allegedly affected by attacks in the West Bank.
Mohammad Abu al-Rub, Director of the Government Communications Office, described these deductions as "illegal" and part of a broader "war on our people" that spans Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
He emphasized that the purpose of these deductions is to undermine Palestinian institutions. Since 2019, the total amount of these cuts has exceeded 7.5 billion shekels.
Since February 2019, Israel has been deducting approximately 53 million shekels a month from Palestinian tax revenues, claiming the amount corresponds to Palestinian payments to families of martyrs, prisoners, and the wounded.
In October 2023, Israel expanded these deductions to about 275 million shekels, allegedly reflecting the costs of the Palestinian Authority’s expenditures in Gaza.
In June 2024, Israel passed a new law in its Knesset to introduce additional deductions for compensating families of Israelis killed or wounded in attacks carried out by Palestinians.
Abu al-Rub condemned the law as a new phase in the "illegal seizure" of Palestinian tax funds, stressing that the Palestinian Authority is continuing its international efforts to pressure Israel into releasing the withheld funds.
“We have received understanding from many countries, including European nations, and there is growing pressure on the Israeli government. We hope for a breakthrough on this issue soon,” he said.
On November 17, 2024, an Israeli court in Jerusalem ruled that the Palestinian Authority, along with four Palestinian detainees, must pay compensation to three Israeli settler families whose relatives were killed in a shooting attack near Ramallah in 2001.
The total compensation amounted to 62 million shekels (approximately 18 million USD), of which 24.8 million shekels (about 7 million USD) is to be paid by the Palestinian Authority, while the remaining 37.2 million shekels will be paid by the four detainees. The remainder of the sum will cover legal fees and attorney expenses for the case.
