The Authority's commitment to reforms didn't stem from goodwill, but from financial distress. Unlike the past, the Europeans decided to stop serving as an "open wallet" and conditioned continued aid – hundreds of millions of euros – on meeting commitments.

The Palestinian representatives, unaccustomed to such criticism, committed to establishing a transparent fund that would reflect the transfer of money and to stop payments to terrorists. But they also understand that supervision over them has grown – not only from Israel, but also from the Europeans, whose credibility toward the Authority now lies on the table.

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A Palestinian source told Israel Hayom Tuesday that the US and other international forces understand that the Palestinian Authority ultimately needs to take control of the Gaza Strip.

According to the source, the PA's participation in postwar arrangements would speed up that process and help facilitate it.

The remarks came after al-Sheikh's second meeting this week with Blair, who is slated to lead the international council as part of Trump's plan for the Middle East and the Gaza Strip.

The head of the PA's General Intelligence Service, Majed Faraj, and Mahmoud Abbas' diplomatic adviser, Majdi Khaldi, also took part in the meeting.

The Palestinian official told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that al-Sheikh stressed to Blair the need for the PA to assume responsibility for the Gaza Strip as part of what he referred to as the Palestinian "state."

The two discussed the PA's role in Gaza through a technocratic committee and Palestinian forces that, from their perspective, are meant to deploy in the Strip.

On Saturday, Egyptian sources said that hundreds of "Palestinian security personnel" were ready to deploy in Gaza. Thousands of PA police officers are undergoing training in Egypt and Jordan.

The discussions also addressed the proposed international oversight body, the so-called Peace Council, and the question of international forces that would be stationed temporarily in the Gaza Strip.

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Video: Execution in Gaza City's main square by Hamas

The highly unusual documentation shows a Gaza resident being shot to death and executed by Hamas operatives in a brutal public display that took place in Gaza City's main square in recent days. The footage was distributed by Alian's office through its Arabic social media channels.

In his message, Alian directly addressed Gaza residents. "People of Gaza – Hamas terrorists and criminals are killing you and care nothing for your lives. There is no difference between a dictator who kills quietly and a terrorist who slaughters openly – both are your enemies and enemies of life."

Alian stated, "This horrifying footage before you is yet another desperate and failed attempt to instill fear among the public in order to preserve Hamas' control, power, and governance. It reflects Hamas' cynical exploitation and trampling of Gaza's residents for the sake of sustaining the terrorist regime."

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Earlier in the day, a diplomatic delegation entered Jenin as part of a pre-arranged coordination. As part of the procedure, the delegation was provided with a specific route they were instructed to follow due to the area's designation as an active combat zone.

Video: Unusual Incident in Jenin

Despite the prior coordination, the delegation veered off the agreed-upon path and entered a restricted area.

An IDF unit stationed at the location, aware that no diplomatic mission was supposed to be present in its vicinity, suspected the unidentified individuals to be a threat and fired warning shots into the air to drive them away. Shortly thereafter, it became clear that the individuals were in fact part of the diplomatic delegation. No injuries were reported.

Following the incident, the commander of the IDF's Judea and Samaria Division conducted an immediate investigation and called for diplomatic outreach to clarify the circumstances internationally. Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim also initiated contact with all the relevant diplomatic representatives.

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In an unusually sharp tone, Abbas demanded that Hamas release all hostages held in Gaza, specifically calling out the case of Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American hostage. "Why haven't you released the American hostage?" Abbas asked during his speech, referencing Alexander's dual citizenship.

Continuing his remarks, Abbas rejected the notion that the deaths of over 200,000 residents of the Gaza Strip could be dismissed as a mere "tactical loss," a phrase reportedly used by those he accused of causing what he called "the Nakba of division", referring to the violent political and territorial split between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Abbas stated that Hamas must "end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority." He added that the organization should transform into a political party that abides by the laws of a future Palestinian state and respects international legitimacy. "We are working with Egypt and the United Nations to organize an international conference in Gaza," he said.

He punctuated his attack by cursing Hamas leadership, calling them "sons of dogs", a rare public outburst that underscores the depth of intra-Palestinian tensions.

However, Abbas also turned his criticism toward Israel, accusing it of waging a "war of extermination" in Gaza. "Our top priority is to stop Israel's war of annihilation and to ensure the occupation withdraws from the entire Strip," he said. He argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu benefits politically from the ongoing conflict, saying, "As long as the war continues, Netanyahu remains in power."

Abbas concluded by praising the resilience of the Palestinian people in Gaza, stating, "Our people stand firm, reject forced emigration and will not allow themselves to be pushed out of the Strip."

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Under Hamas interrogation, the detainee was forced to "confess" to establishing contact with Israeli intelligence back in 2022, after being approached by an Israeli officer.

According to the detainee, the Israeli officer posed as the head of a foreign media organization seeking to gather testimonies and stories from Hamas rivals in Gaza. The report stated that the man had criticized Hamas on social media via a fake account. This, combined with the nature of the charges, suggests the arrest was politically motivated, aimed at silencing dissent through false accusations and intimidation.

During the interrogation, the detainee was also coerced into "admitting" that he had received money from several foreign countries in exchange for "fabricated stories" about Hamas's conduct - alleging theft, murder, and rape against residents of the Strip. Hamas claimed that when the man was unable to provide documentation to support these claims, he was blackmailed and agreed to work for the Shin Bet security agency.

A commander in Hamas's internal security apparatus said the group had intelligence assessments regarding Israel's efforts to locate the hostages. "We tracked numerous signs, including the behavior and movements of collaborators, among other things we cannot reveal at this time. These efforts are what help us thwart such operations and preserve the safety of the prisoners," the commander said.

As reported, the Palestinian man was forced to confess following an investigation by Hamas. Previous reports have indicated that the organization's terrorists routinely subject detainees to violent torture, leading them to confess to any charge. It is worth noting that in recent weeks, the terrorist group has been actively suppressing protests that erupted in northern Gaza demanding its ouster.

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The funding suspension comes at a particularly challenging time for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which faces mounting pressures in maintaining control over areas of the West Bank while positioning itself for potential governance responsibilities in Gaza after the war, according to The Washington Post.

"The US was considered a big donor to the PA projects," Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, told The Washington Post, noting these projects included security and empowerment training for the forces.

A former Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, indicated the PA security forces have not been "affected in any meaningful way" by the freeze, stating that other donors have committed to covering the shortfall.

However, the impact is already visible in certain areas. A colonel who directs training at the PA's Central Training Institute for security forces told The Washington Post that some training programs have been cut. Speaking anonymously per office protocol, he revealed that a planned meeting with US officials to evaluate PA operations targeting fighters in the Jenin refugee camp has been postponed indefinitely.

The colonel also noted that a US-funded virtual shooting range project, necessary because Israel restricts the import of live ammunition for training, now requires alternative funding despite being near completion.

The Biden administration has expressed support for the PA's return to Gaza, a position that faces opposition from both Israel and Hamas, The Washington Post reported. Meanwhile, the PA, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, continues to pay partial salaries to its West Bank employees, including security personnel.

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According to Egyptian sources, this committee is expected to take responsibility for Gaza's reconstruction as part of the proposed framework. Additionally, Egyptian and other companies will undertake reconstruction projects under the plan, while Arab or international forces may be involved in securing their operations.

However, the Qatari report noted that Israel has expressed opposition to these proposals during discussions with Egypt and remains committed to alternative options. Egyptian sources added that the presence of Arab or international forces in Gaza is a particularly sensitive issue, as some countries refuse to engage in direct military involvement. Any force that intervenes in Gaza could face internal resistance.

The report also highlighted concerns that the reconstruction and rebuilding process could create tensions with Gaza-based terrorist organizations due to the presence of tunnels and other infrastructure used by these groups.

A senior Arab diplomatic source told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that there is ongoing coordination among Arab states to formulate a comprehensive response to Trump's plan for Gaza. According to the source, Arab leaders are expected to meet to discuss the details before presenting their proposal at an emergency summit in Cairo at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, a Reuters report suggested that Arab proposals may include a "reconstruction fund" and an agreement to sideline Hamas. Sources indicated that at least four proposals have been drafted regarding Gaza's future, though it appears that Egypt's plan is currently the leading framework.

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Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich led this initiative throughout the past year and on Sunday told the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet the completion of the process – collecting the entire debt that had stood 1.9 billion shekels ($515 million) for over a decade.

Additionally, and no less significantly, the Finance Ministry on Sunday issued an order to the Norwegian fund, where Israel had deposited millions deducted from PA funds earmarked for the Gaza Strip (275 million shekels monthly or $74 million), totaling some 1.4 billion shekels accumulated until May ($379 million). This money will cover PA debts to Israeli companies: Half will go to companies that supplied fuel to the Palestinian Authority and half to the Israel Electric Corporation.

Since last May, when Norway announced its unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, Minister Smotrich also stopped transferring the offset funds to the Norwegian fund and began accumulating the amount separately in Israel. Now, the sum that was supposedly meant to return to the PA after the war from both the fund and Israel is being transferred to cover debts to the Israel Electric Corporation in coordination with the US. The behind-the-scenes negotiations on this matter with the PA and various American entities were led by Finance Ministry deputy director-general. The latter succeeded where his predecessors failed: transferring the money in full, without reducing late payment interest, from PA funds to the Israel Electric Corporation.

The PA's debt to the Israel Electric Corporation has been an ongoing issue for Israel for 15 years. Former Finance Ministry Director-General Shai Babad reached two agreements in 2016 and 2020 with the PA to settle the rolling debt, but these were repeatedly violated by the Authority.

As we reported in September 2023, Smotrich, in his role as finance minister, began reducing the rolling debt by associating the Jerusalem District Electricity Company with the PA , thus stopping the debt from growing every two months and fixing it at 1.9 billion shekels. Since then, in July and November of last year, a total of approximately 700 million shekels were collected from the Authority.

Today, this historic collection process reached its peak and conclusion – 1.1 billion shekels will be cleared in full and the money will be transferred to the Israel Electric Corporation, partly from the Norwegian fund and partly from funds accumulated in Israel. After reaching agreements with US Ambassador Thomas Nides and preventing the use of accumulated funds in the Norwegian fund for Palestinian purposes, Norway will receive a letter requesting the funds from the Accountant General, from there to pay various debts. Despite American demands for interest rate discounts, the Finance Ministry refused to compromise even one shekel, understanding that such "discounts" are a negative incentive that no Israeli citizen receives.

A deadline was also set for the first time with the Americans: transferring the budget in Israel without indirectly rolling additional burdens onto citizens due to the debt held by the Israel Electric Corporation. The fact that the Biden administration boycotted the Israeli finance minister played in favor of the matter, as the absence of relations meant the absence of obligation to respond to their demands on Palestinian issues.

The diplomatic gain means that the Palestinian Authority was indirectly forced to pay the debt it had been rolling over year after year. This is also a significant economic event as the PA's debt to the Israel Electric Corporation led to loans and high interest rates as well as damage to the Israel Electric Corporation's credit rating, which ultimately rolled over to citizens.

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The Jerusalem District Court rejected today (Sunday) an appeal by Tareq Abbas, son of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), in a defamation lawsuit against Middle East expert Dr. Reuven Berko. Abbas, who sought damages of NIS 500,000 ($141,000) regarding a television interview given by Berko, will now be required to pay legal expenses of NIS 20,000 ($5,640).

The case centered on an Arabic language interview where Dr. Berko discussed Tareq Abbas' business activities. Berko asserted that he owns multiple companies and characterized the Abbas family as "full of money." He further stated that "without security coordination, their presence in the Authority's territory would be short-lived," and claimed that Abbas' family members "arrived here with nothing and became millionaires."

In a detailed verdict, Judge Ram Winograd, Vice President of the District Court, found that the lawsuit relied solely on edited portions of the original interview, downloaded from a Gaza news site. "The alteration of how statements were made, and potentially their sequence and substance, prevents the court from evaluating the publication as a whole," the judge wrote.

A crucial aspect of the ruling addressed Tareq Abbas' allegation that the statements portrayed him as collaborating with Israel. The court firmly rejected this claim, stating that Israeli courts do not consider statements about cooperation with Israel as defamatory. Judge Winograd stated: "This claim cannot be sustained as an Israeli court cannot view such expressions as defamation."

The proceedings revealed that contrary to Abbas' initial assertion, the interview was not aired on an Israeli channel but was distributed through a Gaza news site. Berko maintained that in the complete interview, he had actually commended the Abbas family, and his statements were presented without proper context.

Judges Shoshana Leibowitz and Tamar Bar-Asher concurred with Judge Winograd's decision. Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of the "Shurat HaDin" organization representing Berko, commented: "This is another failed attempt at silencing by Abu Mazen's [Mahmoud Abbas] son. Let all those who wish us harm and try to intimidate our rights, especially in these days, know that justice is on our side, and it will ultimately come to light."

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