EXCLUSIVE: US quietly freezes its entire Palestinian aid budget "pending review"; An official at the HALO Trust, which performs landmine clearance in the West Bank,says work is suspended b/c the US "stopped transferring funds at the end of May", i24news.tv/en/news/intern…
"The withholding of USAID’s total budget as well as third-party projects means the administration is taking an expansive interpretation of what assistance 'directly benefits' the PA" -- and it includes "humanitarian projects that would otherwise need to be paid for by the PA".
"A Palestinian official confirmed the report" + said "the US informed the PA after the emergency Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Istanbul in mid-May on the US Embassy move to Jerusalem + the situation in Gaza, that the assistance was on hold + placed under review".
"A Senate Foreign Relations Committee aide told i24NEWS, 'Our understanding is that US funding to the West Bank and Gaza is on hold pending an administration review'.”
"The suspension of this aid means the Secretary of State has not certified that the Palestinian Authority has taken the steps the Taylor Force Act demanded".
The committee aide..confirmed the State Department has submitted an unclassified report to Congress, as the act required.
The committee aide..confirmed the State Department has submitted an unclassified report to Congress, as the act required.
."Dr. Husam Zomlot neither confirmed nor denied the report, saying only that if Washington decides to cut funding..it would damage American interests in region + its vision of a 2-state solution".
The Palestinian leadership hasn't said anything publicly for the past 3 weeks.
The Palestinian leadership hasn't said anything publicly for the past 3 weeks.
