West Bank – An official says the Palestinian government has paid only partial salaries to its civil servants after Israel’s freezing of the transfer of taxes it collects for the Palestinians according to a previous agreement between the sides.
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Abd El Rahman Bayatneh, a spokesman for the Palestinian finance ministry, says the government paid civil servants on Tuesday only 60 percent of their salaries for December.
Israel froze more than $100 million a month in taxes after the Palestinians moved to join the International Criminal Court, which could expose Israel to war crimes charges.
Bayatneh says some 70 percent of the Palestinian Authority’s income comes from these taxes. He says the Palestinians asked the Arab League for a promised $100 million in monthly funds but only received a “very small amount.”