Palestinian banks refuse to distribute the $10 million grant from Qatar meant for terrorist's salaries
Headline: “[PA Prime Minister Muhammad] Shtayyeh: Gaza’s problem is political, we must launch a political path that relies on the international institutions’ resolutions, which will lead to removing the blockade and the end of the occupation”
“[PA] Prime Minister [Muhammad Shtayyeh] said in his speech at the beginning of the [PA] government’s weekly meeting that was held yesterday [Sept. 13, 2021] in Ramallah: ‘In light of the re-arrest of four of the prisoners who succeeded in liberating themselves from Gilboa Prison and in light of the talk on the topic (refers to escape of six terrorist prisoners; see note below -Ed.), I call on all the civilians not to hurl hasty accusations at our people in the 1948 territories (i.e., Israel; refers to how some Israeli Arabs reported on the fugitive terrorists). We are members of one people, and the pain, suffering, common goal, and fate unite us.’ …
On another matter, the [PA] Prime Minister commented on the statements by [Alternate] Israeli Prime Minister [Yair Lapid] regarding an economic plan in exchange for security for the Gaza Strip. He [Shtayyeh] said: ‘Gaza’s problem is a political problem, and it is the same problem that all the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem are dealing with. We must launch a serious and true political path that relies on the international institutions’ resolutions and international law, which will lead to the end of the occupation and to the removal of the blockade from the Gaza Strip and will stop the aggression against all the Palestinian territories. In this way the process of rehabilitation will become possible and sustainable.’
Regarding the Qatari grant, the prime minister explained that it was divided into three parts:
The first is $10 million is to purchase fuel for the Gaza power station through the UN, which has already been done. The second, also at a cost of $10 million, will be distributed by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) over four months. This has already been done…
The third part of the grant, whose cost is $10 million, will be paid as salaries to employees [including terrorist salaries] in the Gaza Strip.He noted that all the Palestinian banks refused to deal with this part, out of fear of legal persecution (refers to the application of much of Israel's Anti-Terror Law to the West Bank, including rendering banks liable to punishment for facilitating PA terror salaries -Ed.). He welcomed any effort to solve this matter.”
In presenting his plan for economic aid to the Gaza Strip on Sept. 12, 2021, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid said: “The political conditions – in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority – don’t allow for diplomatic progress at the moment, but in Gaza we can, and we should, act now… The solution presented here doesn’t address the two-state solution, but my opinion on the matter is well known: Israel needs to act to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and to negotiate with it with an aim of achieving a two-state solution.”
Application of Israel's Anti-Terror Law to the West Bank