Israel will transfer 800 million shekels (about 210 million euros) to the Palestinian Authority to compensate for the loss of its revenues caused by the coronavirus crisis. According to an Israeli official, the Palestinian finance ministry requested the loan last month and it has been approved by the Israeli security services.
The payment of the sum will be spread over four months from the beginning of June, said this official Monday at AFP, on condition of anonymity.
Taxes withheld by Israel
Israel collects and transfers millions of shekels a month to the Palestinians for VAT and customs duties levied on products imported by Palestinians and transiting through Israeli ports. But the crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic led to a drop in imports.
And since February 2019, Israel has withheld part of the taxes due to the Palestinians, corresponding, he said, to allowances paid by the Palestinian Authority to the families of Palestinians imprisoned or killed for having committed anti-Israeli attacks. But the Israeli official stressed that the loan had nothing to do with the funds withheld, which currently amount to 650 million shekels (about 171 million euros). He said the money would be released when the Palestinian Authority stops funding the prisoners and their families.
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