Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza and the beginning of discussions about the future of the sector, the American administration has been advocating the need to reform the Palestinian Authority, which it relies on to manage Gaza later despite Israeli opposition.
It seems that among the plans or proposals set forth by Washington, in addition to combating corruption, is the cessation of compensation payments to those the Palestinian Authority refers to as martyrs, according to two officials in President Joe Biden's administration.
They clarified that Palestinian officials might replace those compensations with another project or a general social welfare program, as reported by "Politico." A senior Biden administration official stated that there has been significant progress behind the scenes on this issue, considering the signs to be promising. Another official explained that these changes are expected to take place soon.
However, many obstacles may arise, especially since the "martyr compensation" program provides thousands of Palestinians and their families with financial support in the event of injury, imprisonment, or death during protests or acts of dissent against Israel. It also provides critical support for many Palestinians who confront Israeli forces.
On the other hand, it raises the ire of Tel Aviv, which considers it encourages "terrorism," labeling the mentioned program as "payment for killing."
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian Authority, which oversees parts of the West Bank, is seen by Washington as the best option for governing Gaza in the future after the war. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh recently announced his resignation, and President Mahmoud Abbas tasked Mohammed Mustafa with forming a new government. Mustafa announced last Thursday the formation of a new government composed of specialists and technocrats, which is set to take the oath of office before Abbas tomorrow, Sunday.
