Israel transfers withheld Palestinian Authority funds to Israeli families in compensation cases
Israeli authorities have transferred 258 million shekels (approximately $71.6 million) from withheld Palestinian Authority (PA) funds to Israeli families who claim damages from attacks carried out by Palestinians, according to a report by Israeli broadcaster i24 News.
The report stated that Israel’s Enforcement and Collection Authority recently completed what it described as a “large-scale operation” to collect funds held by the Israeli Ministry of Finance and distribute them to representatives of Israeli families involved in 125 legal compensation cases.
These cases relate to court rulings awarding damages and punitive compensation to families of Israelis killed or injured in attacks, as well as judgments issued against individuals convicted of carrying out the attacks and against the Palestinian Authority itself.
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The Enforcement and Collection Authority is responsible for implementing court-ordered financial payments, including compensation and punitive damages awarded through Israeli judicial proceedings.
Israeli authorities argue that the Palestinian Authority’s financial payments to prisoners and detainees constitute grounds for seizing PA funds, alleging that such payments are connected to individuals convicted of attacks.
According to the report, the seizure procedures enabled the transfer of the 258 million shekels from the Israeli Ministry of Finance to the Enforcement and Collection Authority, which then distributed the money to Israeli families benefiting from the court rulings.
The Palestinian Authority has previously criticised such measures, describing the withholding of its funds as politically motivated and a major factor behind its ongoing financial crisis.