Israel seizes $26 million of Palestinian tax funds to "combat terrorism"

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has directed the seizure of 100 million shekels ($26 million) of tax funds meant for the Palestinian Authority (PA), declaring that the money will be used to compensate Israeli victims of terrorism.

The finance ministry, in a statement released on Sunday, justified the confiscation as a measure to combat terrorism.

Smotrich accused the PA, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, of reallocating the funds to support the families of those involved in acts of violence against Israel. Israeli officials have consistently criticized the Ramallah-based PA for providing financial aid to the families of Palestinians killed or imprisoned for attacks on Israelis.

This marks the fifth instance of Israel withholding funds it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The PA has yet to respond to requests, reported AFP.

In the wake of Hamas's attack on October 7, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Israel has implemented various economic restrictions on the Palestinian Authority, frequently withholding tax revenues.

On social media site X, Smotrich reiterated that the withholding of Palestinian funds is part of a broader strategy to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state and ensure security for Israelis. He emphasized efforts to bolster Israeli settlements in the West Bank and maintain full Israeli control over the area, while combating what he termed "terror funds" of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders.