Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ended a controversial program that provided stipends to families of Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of attacks against Israel, in a move aimed at improving relations with the new U.S. administration. The program, criticized by Israel and the U.S. as rewarding violence, will be replaced with a needs-based system.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has ended a controversial system that paid stipends to the families of Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted in deadly attacks on Israel . The move is aimed at improving relations with the new administration of President Donald Trump. The U.S., along with Israel , has said the so-called “martyrs fund” rewarded violence against Israel .
Under the new system, prisoners' families will still be eligible for government assistance, but only depending on their financial needs. Previously, payments were determined based on the amount of time a prisoner had spent in prison.There was no immediate reaction from the U.S. or Israel. Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for Saturday, called for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, accused Israel of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement over the past three weeks. He cited “delays in allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, targeting them with airstrikes and gunfire across various areas of the Strip, and failing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid as agreed.” Abu Obeida said Israel has continued to obstruct key provisions of the deal, specifically regarding humanitarian aid. Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 prisoners. The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, releasing three Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. “The resistance leadership has closely monitored the enemy’s violations and its failure to uphold the terms of the agreement,” Abu Obeida said. He said Israel had violated the terms of the ceasefire including not allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, carrying out strikes across the Gaza Strip, and failing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid
PALESTINE ISRAEL CEASEFIRE PRISONERS HAMAS HUMANITARIAN AID
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