Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemned Israel’s decision to withhold funds in tax revenue ‘maqasa’ collected last year and owed to the Palestinian Authority (PA), which the PA transfers to the authority’s public treasury under the agreements signed between the two sides. Al Mezan called for an urgent international intervention on the case. On July 11, 2021, the Israeli cabinet approved withholding funds from PA tax revenues “maqasa”, as of August 1. Israel’s decisions to reduce, cut, or harm Palestinian sources of income have far-reaching impacts on the well-being of the entire occupied Palestinian population, especially the two million Palestinians living in the blockaded Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian suffering deliberately inflicted by the occupying power on the civilian population amounts to an unlawful collective punishment under international law. Accordingly, Al Mezan called on the international community to take prompt action to pressure Israel to repeal the decision to deduct tax revenues and ensure its respect for international law. The PA was also urged to reconsider aspects of the Paris Protocol that serve as the basis for Israel’s political blackmail.  For further details, click here