Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wants to seize confiscated Palestinian funds to support his country’s budget. Israel collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority in exchange for Palestinian imports of imported goods, and in return Israel deducts a 3% commission.
Israel has withheld from tax revenues owed to the Authority amounts to approximately $835 million. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving about 31,000 Palestinian martyrs and more than 72,000 injured.