The Palestinian Authority is in an ongoing quest to detach economically from Israel, in response to its decision to cut tax revenues it transfers to the PA each month.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Sunday, during his visit to Jordan, that he is keen to deepen Arab ties to gradually steer clear from the occupation.
The Palestinian and Jordanian governments signed three MoUs on energy, health and transportation, and agreed to allow Palestinian patients to receive treatment in Jordanian hospitals and Palestinian goods to access the market in Jordan.
A Palestinian ministerial delegation is heading to Iraq next Monday to reinforce cooperation and economic ties.
Shtayyeh said the visit would come under the directives of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s decision to host 1,000 pilgrims from the families of martyrs this year is a message to the Arab and Islamic worlds in response to Israel stopping the payment of stipends to Palestinians jailed by Israel, and the families of those killed by Israeli forces, said Shtayyeh.
He said the PA has started coordinating with the UN to prepare a study on the occupation’s impact on the Palestinian economy.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has been assigned to carry out the study, he said at the start of the cabinet session on Monday.
The study will seek to figure out differences between the Palestinian economic performance under the occupation, and if there were no occupation.
Shtayyeh said the outcome would be presented in a detailed report to the United Nations General Assembly to hold the occupation accountable.
The Palestinian economy, which has been experiencing difficulties in the past years, has further collapsed after Israel’s announcement of a reduction in the revenues it transfers monthly to the PA from tax collected on imports that reach the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip via Israeli ports.
The World Bank has warned against the aggravation of the economic situation if the PA didn’t receive the funds.