The Palestinian Authority has been unable to pay its civil servants’ salaries on time or in full since the start of the war in Gaza.
France announced this Thursday, June 13, the granting of emergency budgetary aid in the form of a donation of eight million euros to the Palestinian Authority, in the grip of a financial crisis which is worrying Western chancelleries.
“While all Palestinians (are) affected by the crisis, this budget support will contribute to the payment of salaries of the Palestinian Authority, in particular of the Ministry of Health,” indicates a press release from the French consulate general in Jerusalem.
For months, the financial situation of the Palestinian Authority (PA) has continued to deteriorate, in particular due to Israeli restrictions imposed on the transfer of tax revenues collected by Israel and due to return to it under the terms of an agreement signed subsequently. of the Oslo Peace Accords (1993), now moribund.
“No need to have a crisis in the West Bank too”
The PA, which exercises limited powers over part of the occupied West Bank (after being driven out of the Gaza Strip by Hamas in 2007), has not been able to pay its civil servants’ salaries on time. nor in their entirety since the start of the war in Gaza triggered by the attack of the Palestinian Islamist movement against Israel on October 7.
According to the press release from the French consulate, Paris intends to support the AP “to the tune of 16 million euros” in 2024.
On
The survival of the Authority based in Ramallah worries the chancelleries after more than eight months of war in the Gaza Strip.
“Avoiding the financial collapse of the Palestinian Authority is today’s top priority,” said a diplomat in Jerusalem.
“There is already enough chaos with Gaza, no need to have a crisis in the West Bank too, and the PA is the preferred option for the Gaza Strip” after the war, he adds.
Ten million pounds paid by the United Kingdom
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced that it would resume its financial support to the Palestinian Authority with ten million pounds (around 11.8 million euros) for “basic services and payment of salaries”.
“A strong and effective Palestinian Authority is essential for lasting peace,” London said in a statement.
The same day, the US State Department announced that the United States would provide an additional $404 million (approximately 375.8 million euros) in humanitarian aid “to support Palestinian civilians” but not through direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.
As of May 31, the European Union had paid 25 million euros to the PA to help pay the salaries of “Palestinian civil servants in the West Bank (…) before Eid al-Adha”, the Muslim holiday remembering the sacrifice of Abraham, celebrated on Sunday.
