From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 22, 2024
Report: PA agrees to transfer of funds from Israel through Norway, without Gaza sum
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
The Palestinian Authority reportedly agrees to receive the tax money collected by Israel on its behalf, minus the sum earmarked for Gaza.
A Palestinian source tells Sky News Arabia that Ramallah has walked back its previous decision to reject a partial transfer of the funds collected on its behalf by Israel since November, when the government decided to deduct the amount that the PA has earmarked for Gaza to pay for services and salaries in the coastal enclave.
According to the agreement, made under heavy American pressure, Ramallah will receive the funds from Israel through a trust fund managed by Norway. Oslo will be barred from transferring the funds to the PA or to any other party without the express permission of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The Palestinian source adds that the PA will still disburse payments to pensioners and needy families in Gaza that appear in the lists of its Ministry of Social Development, using funds earmarked for the West Bank.
