Palestinian minister says financial situation extremely critical

Palestinian Finance and Planning Minister Estephan Anton Salameh warned on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority's (PA) financial situation has become "extremely critical," threatening the continued provision of basic services, as Israel has withheld Palestinian tax revenues for the 10th consecutive month.

"2026 will be the most financially difficult year in the history of the Palestinian Authority," Salameh said at a press conference held in Ramallah in the West Bank.

He said that for 10 consecutive months, Israel has continued to withhold tax revenues belonging to the PA, noting that it is currently withholding approximately 4.4 billion U.S. dollars in Palestinian funds.