Janet Yellen speaks at a press conference before her participation in the G20 ministerial meeting in Sao Paulo (European)
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Tuesday that Israel has agreed to resume transferring tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority to finance basic services and support the West Bank economy, adding that funds have begun to flow.
The US Secretary said in statements during a press conference on the sidelines of her participation in the G20 ministerial meeting in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, “This must continue,” and indicated that Washington has been urging the Israeli government for some time to release the so-called “clearance funds” to the Palestinian Authority, without To provide more details.
In her statements, Yellen said that she also urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent letter to resume issuing work permits to Palestinians and reduce obstacles to trade within the West Bank.
The Treasury Department declined to release a copy of the letter and did not provide details about when it was sent.
“These measures are important for the economic interests of both Palestinians and Israelis,” Yellen said.
The minister added that the United States is also working on the humanitarian level to cooperate in helping innocent Palestinians and delivering legitimate aid to where it is most needed.
“We continue to explore options to boost the West Bank’s economy,” she said, following an executive order issued by US President Joe Biden earlier this month.
Yellen also indicated that Washington supports the World Bank's pledges to provide emergency food security assistance in the Gaza Strip, economic support for the West Bank, and other ongoing loan programs from regional development banks and the International Monetary Fund in Egypt and Jordan.
She said that Washington had not detected a major impact of the conflict on the global economy, but it would continue to monitor the situation closely.
She pointed out that Washington also led efforts to combat the financing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and responded to the attacks of the Yemeni Houthi group in the Red Sea.
Palestinian Authority officials say their ability to govern has been undermined by Israeli restrictions, including withholding tax revenues due under the Oslo Accords signed 30 years ago.
For months, the Authority remained unable to pay the full salaries of public sector employees due to a dispute over the refusal of the Israeli Ministry of Finance to release part of the funds.
Source: Agencies