The U.S. State Department emphasized that Israel must adhere to international humanitarian law in its war in Gaza, ensuring the protection of civilians. This urgent news was reported by Al-Qahera News.
The State Department noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit to the Middle East, discussed diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Notably, American news site Axios reported that Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to release Palestinian tax revenues. These funds had been frozen by the far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in early May.
According to U.S. officials, the Biden administration is deeply concerned about the potential collapse of the Palestinian Authority if the tax revenues are not transferred soon. Such a collapse could escalate tensions in the West Bank, adding to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
These tax revenues, collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority under a bilateral agreement, are a crucial source of income for the financially struggling Palestinian Authority.
Smotrich suspended all transfers of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority. According to Axios, this issue was the focus of a very tense phone call between President Biden and Netanyahu last December.
