RAMALLAH / Awad al-Rajoub / Anadolu

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called on the international community to step up pressure on Israel to open the crossings in the Gaza Strip and release withheld tax revenues.

This came during Mustafa's meeting in the Belgian capital Brussels with the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, on Sunday, according to a statement by the Palestinian Government Media Office.

The two sides discussed the latest political developments and field developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as well as ways to enhance European support for Palestine.

Mustafa stressed the necessity of opening the Gaza Strip crossings and allowing the entry of aid convoys and supplies for reconstruction and early recovery, amid the worsening suffering of the enclave's residents.

He also called for mobilising more European support for the recovery and reconstruction plan in Gaza.

Israel, with US support, launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 8, 2023, which lasted for two years, killing more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounding more than 173,000, in addition to widespread destruction that affected nearly 90 percent of the civilian infrastructure.

Israel continues to impose a strict blockade on the Strip and restricts the entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction supplies.

On the financial file, Mustafa called for doubling international pressure on Israel to release the withheld Palestinian tax revenues (clearance funds), enabling the government to meet its obligations and continue providing services.

According to the government, clearance funds constitute about 68 percent of its revenues, while the value of funds withheld by Israel has exceeded $6 billion.

Clearance funds are taxes and customs duties that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on goods entering the occupied territories, and transfers them monthly under the Paris Protocol on Economic Relations signed in 1994.

Since 2019, Israel has been deducting amounts from clearance funds, before completely halting their transfer over a year ago, exacerbating the Palestinian government's financial crisis and hindering its ability to pay full salaries to its employees.

During the meeting, Mustafa outlined the reform and development program implemented by his government, affirming its continued implementation in coordination with the European Union and international partners.

For her part, Kallas affirmed the European Union's commitment to supporting the Palestinian reform plan and efforts to rebuild Gaza, remove rubble, and conduct medical evacuations, despite political challenges and restrictions on the work of European missions.

She added that the Union is working to maintain its support for Palestinian institutions, despite difficulties in funding programs and the continued Israeli restrictions.

The European Union has launched a program to support Palestinian recovery and resilience worth up to €1.6 billion for the period between 2025 and 2027, including financial support for the Palestinian Authority and funding for economic recovery projects, the private sector, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The Union is also deploying a civilian mission at the Rafah crossing to monitor transit movement and support Palestinian border personnel, although its work is linked to security and political developments.