Cease-fire between Israel and Hamas holds in Gaza
FOX News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports from Tel Aviv.
The president of the Palestinian Authority reportedly greenlit a payment of $42,000 to a terrorist who stabbed two Israelis to death as part of the government’s policy of paying terrorists following the Biden administration’s $100 million aid package to the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas this week reportedly sent a district governor of Ramallah, Laila Ghannam, to personally deliver the cash to the family of Muhannad Al-Halabi, who was part of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The payment came “on behalf of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to ‘complete the payment of the cost’ of their home, which was demolished by Israel following the attack,” according to the a report from the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The MEMRI report was first flagged by the Washington Free Beacon.
“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,’” 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 being killed by police. The Palestinian Authority runs a “pay-to-slay” program that supports terrorism and has received hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from the Palestinian government, according to the State Department.
Additionally, Abbas’ payment comes after the Biden administration announced a $112 million aid package to the Gaza Strip – which is controlled by Palestinian Authority-backed terror group Hamas – late last month.
Abbas has told Western leaders that his government does not have any formal involvement with militants or terror organizations and denied supporting the “pay-to-slay” programs.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the $112 million aid package during a tour of the Gaza Strip after recent clashes between Israel and Hamas.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
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