Jerusalem: The Israeli Knesset's plenum has approved a new draft bill in its second and third readings, which expands the mechanisms for seizing Palestinian clearance revenues. This legislation will allow for additional deductions from the entitlements of the Palestinian Authority.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the bill was initiated by Knesset member Avichai Boaron of the Likud party. It stipulates that the deductions will include compensation and grants paid by Israeli institutions to those affected by Palestinian operations. This includes National Insurance payments to injured persons and families of those killed, as well as compensation for property damage.
Under the provisions of the bill, the Israeli finance minister is required to submit an annual report to the Ministerial Committee for Security and Political Affairs (the Cabinet) detailing the volume of payments and compensation. The Cabinet will then decide the amount to be deducted from the clearance revenues that are transferred to the Palestinian Authority in the subsequent year.
The legislation specifies that the deducted funds will first be used to cover compensation owed to affected individuals. Any remaining surplus will be transferred to the Israeli state treasury, with these deductions being retroactively applied as of January 1, 2025.
This decision is part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at increasing financial deductions from Palestinian clearance revenues, in an effort to intensify economic pressure on the Palestinian National Authority.