Palestinian public sector salaries squeezed as Israel withholds tax revenue
The Palestinian Authority (PA) says the Israeli finance ministry is continuing to withhold tax revenues and, as a result, only a part of public sector salaries would be paid this week, keeping up a squeeze on payrolls that has lasted for months.
The PA said it would pay Palestinian public sector employees 50 percent of their March salaries on Tuesday, after Israel withheld a transfer due for the month of April. It said the arrears would be paid once the financial situation allowed.
The Israeli finance ministry confirmed it had been decided not to transfer tax revenues this month but declined to provide details.
Palestinian Authority asks Arab countries for ‘financial safety net’ in light of Gaza war
The Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister of Economy Mohammad Alamour has called on the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League to activate a monthly fund created for the authority in 2019 “to support the steadfastness of our people in light of the genocidal war Israel has been carrying out since last October”.
Alamour made his comments in Manama on the sidelines of the council’s preparatory meetings ahead of the 33rd Arab Summit to be held in Bahrain. He also called for states and organisations to “come to the rescue of our people and supply humanitarian relief to our people in these exceptional circumstances”, a ministry readout said.
The Arab League first pledged the monthly safety net in April 2019, after Israel cut funding to the PA.
Israel, which controls all borders, collects taxes on imports on behalf of the PA, which it then transfers over. But Israel has been withholding millions of dollars on and off in past years in protest at payments the PA makes to Palestinian detainees.
Donors pledge more than $2bn for Gaza at Kuwait conference
A conference of international donors in Kuwait has pledged more than $2bn in aid to Gaza.
The conference, organised by the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and the UN’s humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, announced that the funds would be dispersed over two years, with the possibility of extension, in efforts to support life-saving humanitarian interventions in the besieged territory.
Israel lacks ‘credible plan’ to safeguard Rafah civilians: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has defended a decision to pause a delivery to Israel of 3,500 bombs over concerns they could be used in the southern city of Rafah, saying Israel lacked a “credible plan” to protect 1.4 million civilians sheltering there.
Speaking to ABC News, Blinken said President Joe Biden remains determined to help Israel defend itself and the shipment of 2,000-pound (900kg) and 500-pound (225kg) bombs was the only US weapons package being withheld.
That could change, he said, if Israel launches a full-scale attack on Rafah, a move that Israel says is imminent. Biden has made it clear to Israel that if it “launches this major military operation to Rafah, then there are certain systems that we’re not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation”, Blinken said.
“We have real concerns about the way they’re used,” he continued. Israel needs to “have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven’t seen”.
Nah, Biden and Blinken will just move the 'red-line' again or claim there's is no full scale attack. Just words for the elections.
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