Israeli move to cut Gaza funds from tax revenues ‘collective punishment’: Palestine

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Monday decried an Israeli decision to withhold the funds allocated for the Gaza Strip from the tax revenues as an act of piracy and collective punishment against the Palestinian people.

In a statement, PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the Israeli move will have “serious consequences on the services provided by the government to all sectors, especially the health sector.”

“The withholding of Palestinian tax revenues allocated to the Gaza Strip is a war crime,” the spokesman said.

“Palestine will not abandon its people, whether the detainees, martyrs, or Gaza’s needs, and it will never stop transferring Gaza’s due money,” Abu Rudeineh stressed.

The Palestinian spokesman called on the US administration to “obligate Israel to stop these policies and crimes committed against every Palestinian.”

The Israeli government decided early Monday to deduct from the Palestinian tax revenues the amount allocated by the PA for the Gaza Strip.

The tax revenues – known in Palestine and Israel as maqasa – are collected by the Israeli government on behalf of the PA on Palestinian imports and exports and Israel in return earns a commission of 3%.

The revenues are estimated to total around $188 million every month and represent the main source of income for the Ramallah-based authority.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.

Nearly 18,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 49,229 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar