PA Abbas' decree on prisoner payments sparks Palestinian backlash
3 Min Read
The decree impacts between 35,000 and 40,000 families, according to Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian committee overseeing prisoner affairs.
-
[For illustration purposes] A Palestinian flag hangs in barbed wire as people march during a pro-Palestinian protest calling against the blockage by Turkish authorities of a ship loaded with aid to Gaza anchored at the Istanbul port, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' recent decision to transfer financial support for families of prisoners and those killed by "Israel" to an independent foundation has triggered widespread condemnation among Palestinian officials and political factions. The move, seen as a capitulation to US and Israeli pressure, threatens the livelihoods of thousands of Palestinian families who have long relied on this assistance.
The decree impacts between 35,000 and 40,000 families, according to Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian committee overseeing prisoner affairs. Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, Fares demanded the decree's immediate withdrawal, stating: "I urge you to reconsider this matter and withdraw this decree." He criticized the unilateral nature of the decision, arguing that "allowances for prisoners have always been a point of consensus" among Palestinian factions and should not be altered without national consultation.
Under the new arrangement, an organization called the Palestinian Economic Empowerment Foundation will determine eligibility for assistance based on financial need. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that all affected families will be subjected to new assessment criteria, raising concerns that many will be excluded from the support they previously received.
The policy shift has been met with outrage, particularly given the ongoing Israeli aggression in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Hilmi al-Araj, head of the Center for the Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights, denounced the decree, demanding that it be "rescinded as though it never existed." He condemned its timing and intent, particularly as Palestinian prisoners await release through ongoing prisoner exchange negotiations.
Read more: Freed Palestinian prisoner recounts horrors within Israeli prisons
This decision comes after years of Israeli and American pressure on the Palestinian Authority to halt financial support for prisoners and their families. The Israeli government has falsely framed these payments as "terror funding", using the issue as a pretext to seize Palestinian tax revenues and tighten its economic stranglehold on the occupied territories. The policy change is widely seen as a concession to Israeli demands at the expense of Palestinian resistance and resilience.
Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have strongly condemned the move. In a statement issued Monday night, Hamas rejected the decree and called for its "immediate reversal," warning that such decisions serve Israeli interests and undermine the struggle of Palestinian prisoners who have endured harsh conditions under occupation.
