Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh has said that Israeli measures have put the Palestinian people in a financial crisis.
“They tried to cut the money allocated to the families of martyrs and prisoners. So, we refused to receive the reduced funds. We want it in its entirety,” Shtayyeh said in a video broadcast on his Facebook page on Thursday.
He noted that the financial pressure exerted by Israel on the Palestinian government was part of a war waged to push the Palestinian side to give up and accept the so-called US “deal of the century.”
“Our people will not surrender and we will accept only a just solution, which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, with the refugees’ right of return,” he emphasized.
Shtayyeh said that his government had been forced over the past months to borrow from banks, “and we will continue to do so,” pointing out that, despite the difficult situation, “we will remain loyal to the families of martyrs and prisoners.”
The PM had warned of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority and its financial bankruptcy in two or three months, warning of risks to Israel and the entire region.
In comments to the New York Times on Wednesday, Shtayyeh blamed Israel for the current situation, which he said could lead to the bankruptcy of the Palestinian Authority in July or August.
In response, US Envoy for the Middle East Jason Greenblatt tweeted: “PM Shtayyeh is wrong, the PA isn’t ‘in a collapsing situation,’ the PA caused the situation. Time for the PA to step-up and take responsibility for their people and the economy. The PA can't continue to blame the US and everyone else for a situation they caused.”
On a different note, the Israeli army said it has observed a significant increase in the number of Palestinian attempts to carry out operations against Israeli military targets or against settlers in recent months.
The army spokesperson said that the Israeli forces promised to continue their current policy of crushing these operations before they occur.
