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UN Warns of ‘Dire’ Economic Situation in Palestinian Authority’s Areas

A Palestinian child beside the Israeli division wall in al-Eizariya town in the West Bank. (AFP)
A Palestinian child beside the Israeli division wall in al-Eizariya town in the West Bank. (AFP)
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UN Warns of ‘Dire’ Economic Situation in Palestinian Authority’s Areas

A Palestinian child beside the Israeli division wall in al-Eizariya town in the West Bank. (AFP)
A Palestinian child beside the Israeli division wall in al-Eizariya town in the West Bank. (AFP)

The economic and fiscal situation in the occupied Palestinian territories remains “dire,” said a report by the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) Tor Wennesland.

A broader framework of engagement—including parallel steps by all parties—needs to be re-established between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community to strengthen the fiscal situation of the PA and its institutions.

The report was published on Friday and assesses the uneven progress toward sustainable development and institution building in Palestine. It will be presented in the upcoming Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), the international donor group for Palestine, meeting in Oslo on Nov. 17.

Wennesland said the report calls for the immediate economic and fiscal situation facing the PA to be addressed and its institutions to be strengthened, with a near-term focus on delivering public services.

“A piecemeal approach to addressing these challenges, along with a lack of progress on the broader political issues, risks perpetuating a continuous cycle of crisis management,” it stressed.

“A sharp decline in GDP per capita in 2020 followed years of economic stagnation in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, the economy continues its multi-decade decline and there is persistently high unemployment, particularly among women.”

It is increasingly difficult for the PA to cover its minimum recurrent expenditures due to the longstanding fiscal leakages, and Israel’s deduction of the clearance revenues.

The report proposed a three-track approach focusing on initiatives to address the immediate economic and fiscal situation facing the PA and strengthen Palestinian Authority institutions and basic service delivery, solidify the cessation of hostilities and support economic development in Gaza and generate longer-term economic growth and sustainable livelihoods across the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Given the severity of the crises endured so far in 2021, Israel’s government, the PA and the international community should work in concert on an integrated response in the coming months,” the report stressed.

It urged relevant parties to solidify the cessation of hostilities that began on May 21 in Gaza, support economic development in the enclave and promote a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery that improves livelihoods of all Palestinians, including women, the poor, young people, refugees and other vulnerable groups.

Although steps have been taken to de-escalate tensions in East Jerusalem and maintain the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, settlement activity and settler-related violence, demolitions and evictions and Israeli security operations in Area A continue to undermine Palestinian institutions and prospects for a two-state solution, the report warned.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.