Palestinian president 'approved $42,000 payment to killer'
Palestinian president ‘approved $42,000 payment to family of killer who stabbed two Israelis to death after Joe Biden restarted Gaza aid’
- The payment was delivered to the family of Muhannad Al-Halabi who killed two
- He was part of the terrorist group going by the name of Palestinian Islamic Jihad
- The payment was made as part of the ‘Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund’
- Critics have called the fund a ‘pay-to-slay’ fund that supports terrorism
The president of the Palestinian Authority allegedly approved a $42,000 (£30,000) payment to the family of a killer who stabbed two Israelis to death in 2015.
The payment came after U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration sent a $112 million aid package to the Gaza strip following last month’s conflict.
Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly sent a district governor of Ramallah, Laila Ghannam, to personally deliver cash this week to the family of Muhannad Al-Halabi.
Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas [file photo, 2018] reportedly sent a district governor of Ramallah, Laila Ghannam, to personally deliver cash this week to the family of Muhannad Al-Halabi
Al-Halabi was part of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and stabbed and killed two Israeli citizens in 2015, according to Fox News.
According to a report from the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the payment was ‘on behalf of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to “complete the payment of the cost” of their home’ which Israel demolished after the attack.
The Washington Free Beacon was the first to flag the report from the MEMRI.
‘The governor stressed that the meeting was being held on instructions from Abbas, who had ordered [Ghannam] to handle the issue of the house ‘in order to preserve the dignity of the family,’ the MEMRI wrote.
‘Ghannam thanked Abbas, who she said ‘attributes special importance to the families of the martyrs, prisoners and fighters’ and is ‘like a compassionate father to all our [Palestinian] people.’
In 2015, Al-Halabi stabbed two Israeli citizens to death before he was killed by police.
Left: Pictured: Muhannad Al-Halabi, who stabbed two Israeli citizens to death before he was killed by police. Right: District governor of Ramallah, Laila Ghannam, who reportedly personally delivered the cash to Al-Halabi’s family
The Palestinian Authority runs a ‘Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund’ that pays monthly cash stipends to the families of Palestinians killed, injured, or imprisoned while carrying out politically motivated violence against Israel.
Criticised by some as a ‘pay to slay’ scheme that supports terrorism, the fund has received hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from the Palestinian government, according to the U.S. State Department.
The payment from Abbas came after the Biden administration announced a $112 million (£85 million) aid package to the Gaza Strip last month.
The enclave found to the south-west of Israel is controlled by the Palestinian Authority-backed terror group Hamas.
Abbas has previously told Western leaders that his government does not have any formal involvement with militants or terror organisations, and has denied that he is supporting the so-called ‘pay-to-slay’ programmes.
The $112 million aid package was announced by the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a tour of the Gaza Strup after recent clahses between Israel and Hamas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane upon departure from Queen Alia International Airport, May 27, 2021, in Amman, Jordan following his visit to Gaza. The $112 million aid package was announced by the U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a tour of the Gaza Strup after recent clahses between Israel and Hamas
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system (left) intercepts rockets (right) fired by the Hamas movement from Gaza city towards Israel early on May 16, 2021
Israel carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Gaza during the 11-day war, in which Hamas and other militant groups fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel.
At least 254 people were killed in Gaza, including 67 children and 39 women. according to the Gaza health ministry.
Hamas has acknowledged the deaths of 80 militants. Twelve civilians, including two children, were killed in Israel, along with one soldier.
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