Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has ordered the seizure of 100 million shekels ($26 million) of tax funds intended for the Palestinian Authority. This decision was announced late Sunday and is aimed at compensating Israeli victims of terrorism.
The finance ministry’s statement emphasized that the confiscation of funds is “part of measures to combat terrorism.” Smotrich accused the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, of misappropriating these funds to support “families of terrorists.”
Israeli politicians have frequently criticized the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority for providing financial support to the families of Palestinians killed or imprisoned for acts of violence against Israel. This practice, often referred to as “pay for slay,” has been a point of contention between the two parties.
The finance ministry noted that this is the fifth instance of withholding such funds, which Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority as part of an economic arrangement.
The Palestinian Authority has not yet responded to requests for comment on this latest seizure.
Since the onset of the Gaza conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack, Israel has intensified economic restrictions on the Palestinian Authority, frequently withholding tax revenues it collects.
On Monday, Smotrich elaborated on the decision via the social media platform X, describing the withholding of Palestinian funds as a strategic measure to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. He stated that this action is crucial “to ensure security” for Israelis and is part of a broader effort to increase Israeli settlement in the West Bank.
“We are working on the ground to remove this threat (of a Palestinian state) … by strengthening settlement through construction, … fighting the terror funds of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders, and maintaining complete Israeli control over the area,” Smotrich declared.
READ MORE: Iran May Launch Attack On Israel Today; Netanyahu Considers Preemptive Strike: Report
