Israel transfers nearly $ 1 billion owed to the Palestinian Authority

Mohammed Shtayyeh, in Ramallah in June 2020. AFP

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On Wednesday, Israel returned to the Palestinian Authority the equivalent of more than a billion dollars, the first tangible guarantee of a resumption of dialogue.

Because, while ties had been severed for months, the Palestinians reversed their decision and announced the resumption of security, but above all financial, ties with Israel.

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With our correspondent in Ramallah,

3 billion 768 shekels, or the equivalent of nearly one billion euros.

This money comes from customs taxes that the Jewish state has collected on behalf of the Palestinians in recent months, taxes frozen since last May, the date of the end of cooperation between the two parties.

" 

 ", specifies Mohammed Shtayyeh, Prime Minister, and which will help the Palestinian economy and relieve a large part of the inhabitants.

Because for months, civil servants were only paid part of their salary.

This Thursday, they recover for the first time the full amount owed to them and will receive salary compensation as and when.

But this transfer - which represents 35% of the tax revenues planned for 2020 - will not balance the Palestinian annual budget, which is too short.

And

does not help: part of this money will indeed be allocated to hospitals and the health system in general.

And it is too early to claim victory: if the Jewish state has transferred the taxes collected in recent months, it continues to deduct from these amounts amounts allocated to Palestinian prisoners.

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• Israel

• Palestinian territories