Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that Israel is trying to blackmail the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the file of tax-revenue funds, stressing the Authority's refusal to receive these funds in light of this situation.
“Israel is trying to blackmail us… and we are confident that our people will not accept the blackmail of Israel in this matter.”
Shtayyeh hoped everyone would understand the sensitive political stage in which the country is going through, adding that: "we will have to take a $350 million loan from the banks to pay half of the salaries to our employees."
The Palestinian Ministry of Finance announced that it would pay half of July’s salaries of its civil and military employees.
The Authority is suffering from a severe financial crisis after refusing to receive taxes that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians following its announcement in May that bilateral agreements with Tel Aviv were null.
Palestine depends on taxes, grants, aid, as well as local and foreign loans in its revenues, however, they have all dwindled after the coronavirus pandemic.
The PA has not received financial aid from Arab countries since the beginning of this year, Shtayyeh said, adding that “all the US financial aid to us and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has stopped.”
Shtayyeh welcomed the meeting to be held under the chairmanship of President Mahmoud Abbas and including the Palestinian factions, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, describing it as an important step on the road to ending division.
The PM denounced the ongoing excavations carried out by Israel under al-Aqsa Mosque, warning that it threatened its structural integrity.
"A piece of our Palestinian identity and the identity of the globe’s cultural heritage is in danger because of Israel’s unethical actions. We won't stand by silently as Israel violates our established agreements."
Al-Aqsa is a national and cultural identity and constitutes the spirit of Muslim-Christian brotherhood in Palestine, according to Shtayyeh, adding that these excavations are an Israeli attempt to falsify history.
