Smotrich orders seizure of $90m in Palestinian funds to benefit Israeli settlers
The Cradle | February 18, 2025
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich signed an order on 17 February to seize NIS 320 million ($90 million) in Palestinian tax funds to use as compensation for families of Israelis affected by the war.
“There is no more moral and just signature than to prevent the Palestinian Authority from funding terrorism and to garnish its funds for the benefit of the families of terror victims. This is a necessary step in our national struggle against terrorism and against the Palestinian Authority that encourages it,” Smotrich stated.
In August, the finance minister confiscated NIS 100 million (nearly $27 million) from the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah, accusing it of supporting “terrorism.”
Israel’s security cabinet was set to meet on Monday to discuss whether to move forward with negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
If agreed to, the second phase is intended to see Hamas release dozens of remaining captives from Gaza, while Israel would release hundreds more Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw entirely from Gaza, and a lasting truce should go into effect.
However, Smotrich and other Jewish supremacist ministers have said they would quit Netanyahu’s ruling coalition if the war does not resume.
On Saturday, the Israeli finance minister announced that US President Donald Trump’s plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza will start within weeks, with the displacement starting slowly but accelerating with time.
“Preparations have started amongst our teams, alongside teams of the US President Donald Trump,” Smotrich told reporters, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
He explained that the plan involves two parts. “One is to find countries that can receive people, and two, it’s a huge logistical operation to take such a large number of people out of here.”
Palestinians in Gaza have rejected Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse them from their homes and lands, while rights groups have said that the plan is illegal under international law.
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