21 November 2025 – Brussels:
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has called on donor nations and international partners to step up diplomatic pressure on Israel to immediately release the Palestinian Authority’s withheld tax revenues and provide urgent financial assistance to stabilise the government’s fiscal crisis.
Speaking at a high-level donor conference hosted at the European Commission in Brussels, attended by representatives from over 60 countries and international institutions, Mustafa said that withholding Palestinian tax funds has severely impacted the government’s ability to maintain essential services and support its people. His remarks were reported by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Mustafa urged partner nations to provide direct budgetary support for at least the next six months, in line with the newly-announced emergency financial framework supported by Saudi Arabia, France, Norway and Spain. The initiative includes financial guarantees for issuing bonds to Palestinian banks in order to improve liquidity and strengthen public debt management.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of expanding donor participation for Gaza’s reconstruction efforts, stressing that rebuilding the Strip requires coordinated international engagement and significant funding.
The withheld funds consist of taxes collected by Israel on goods entering Palestinian territories, either from Israel or through Tel Aviv-controlled border crossings. Under existing agreements, Israel collects these funds on behalf of the Palestinian Authority but has repeatedly withheld them during political disputes—placing additional strain on the Palestinian economy.
