RAMALLAH, West Bank — Almost two weeks into January have passed and the Palestinian Authority (PA) has yet to pay the salaries of its employees and fulfill its financial obligations, a result of Israel freezing the transfer of tax revenues on Jan. 3.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat slammed the Israeli decision as a war crime. The PA heavily counts on tax revenues of a monthly average of $170 million, which accounts for 65% of the salaries bill.