Sa’ar: PA nearly doubled payments to terrorists in 2025

Abbas said on Feb. 21 that he would not deduct “a single penny” from payments to prisoners and the so-called Martyrs’ Fund.

By JNS

The Palestinian Authority nearly doubled the payments it issued in 2025 to convicted terrorists and to the families of those killed while carrying out attacks, despite its repeated claims to have halted the practice, Israel’s Foreign Ministry revealed Wednesday.

Last year, Ramallah disbursed $144 million in payments rewarding attacks against Israelis.

In 2025, it has already committed $214 million, “and the year isn’t even over,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar tweeted.

“I call on Europe and the world to hold the P.A. accountable for funding terrorism. Stop Pay-for-Slay NOW!” Jerusalem’s top diplomat added.

Last week, Sa’ar accused Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas of attempting to “fool the world” by firing his finance minister, reportedly over “unauthorized payments” to Arab terrorists and their families.

Ramallah’s official Wafa news agency reported that P.A. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Istifan Salameh would replace Omar Bitar, though it gave no reason for Bitar’s dismissal.

According to local reports, Bitar had transferred funds to terrorists in Israeli prisons through a mechanism Ramallah had ostensibly reformed under pressure from the United States and Europe.

The revamped mechanism Bitar allegedly bypassed rebrands the stipends as “welfare support,” shifting the system from an official ministry to an “independent” foundation controlled by the P.A.

Sa’ar told reporters in Budapest on Oct. 27 that “contrary to the P.A.’s promises in English, they are continuing their pay-for-slay policy.

“Paying salaries to terrorists and their families for murdering Jews and Israelis has been Palestinian law since 2004 and until this very day. They just changed the method. The terrorists are collecting their payments from the Palestinian post office,” according to Israel’s top diplomat.

Abbas said on Feb. 21 that he would not deduct “a single penny” from payments to prisoners and the so-called Martyrs’ Fund, despite a statement earlier in the month that some countries had interpreted as signaling an end to the controversial policy.

“We again emphasize that we are proud of the sacrifices made by the martyrs, prisoners and wounded,” the P.A. chief declared in a speech.

“I told you once and I stand by my word: Even if we have [only] one penny left, it is for the prisoners and the martyrs,” Abbas continued, echoing previous remarks made during a 2018 address.