Palestinian Authority Still Pays Terrorists Millions Despite Abbas Pledge, Study Find

6 Ways Israel Can Intensify Its Fight Against Palestinian “Pay For Slay” Payments

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to reward terrorists imprisoned for attacks against Israelis, released prisoners and families of terrorists killed while carrying out attacks. Despite measures taken by Israel and the United States, the policy, commonly known as “Pay for Slay,” continues through alternative payment mechanisms. The payments not only reward terrorism […]

Palestinian Authority still pays terrorists millions despite Abbas pledge, study find

Palestinian Authority still pays terrorists millions despite Abbas pledge, study finds. JCFA research says the Palestinian Authority continues transferring more than NIS 20 million a month to imprisoned terrorists, while Israel has seized only about 15% of funds targeted under confiscation orders

PAYING TERRORISTS MILLIONS: Palestinian Authority Continues Prisoner Salaries Despite Abbas Pledge to End Payments

The Palestinian Authority continues to distribute more than 20 million shekels every month to terrorists imprisoned in Israeli jails, despite assurances by PA President Mahmoud Abbas to the United States that the controversial payment program would be discontinued, according to a new study examining the financial system and Israel’s efforts to stop it. The findings, published by the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security (JCFA) and reported by Ynet, indicate that the PA has developed alternative methods of transferring money to imprisoned terrorists, allowing the payments to continue even after Palestinian banks were warned against processing the transactions. The study was conducted by Lt. Col. (res.) attorney Maurice Hirsch, a former chief military prosecutor in Yehuda and Shomron who currently serves as a senior researcher at JCFA. His findings also point to substantial shortcomings in Israel’s enforcement of laws intended to confiscate money paid to terrorists. According to Hirsch, Israeli defense ministers have signed dozens of seizure orders since 2019 targeting funds transferred by the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to terrorists. Although those orders cover approximately 50 million shekels, Israeli authorities have actually confiscated only about 15% of the designated amount. The payment system, widely known among its critics as “Pay for Slay,” provides monthly stipends to imprisoned terrorists, with the amounts increasing according to the length of their prison sentences. Under the payment scale detailed in the report, terrorists serving their first three years in prison receive 1,400 shekels per month. After five years of imprisonment, the monthly payment increases to 4,000 shekels, while terrorists serving sentences exceeding 30 years can receive as much as 12,000 shekels each month. Critics argue that the structure effectively rewards terrorists responsible for particularly serious attacks, since longer sentences generally result in higher payments. Israel attempted to disrupt the program in 2020 by applying anti-terror financing legislation in Yehuda and Shomron, exposing Palestinian banks to potential criminal and civil liability if they continued maintaining accounts used to distribute the payments. The warnings prompted Palestinian financial institutions to close approximately 35,000 bank accounts associated with imprisoned terrorists and their families. However, according to the research, the Palestinian Authority subsequently established alternative distribution arrangements to circumvent the restrictions. Payments were initially delivered in cash through post offices, while the current system reportedly relies on specially designated ATMs operating outside the conventional banking network. Hirsch argues that the alternative ATM network presents an opportunity for Israeli authorities to intercept the payments without disrupting the broader Palestinian banking system. He recommends identifying the locations of the machines and confiscating the cash shortly after the Palestinian Authority deposits the funds, before recipients can withdraw their payments. The study also urges Israeli authorities to make greater use of existing laws permitting the seizure of property belonging to terrorists who receive PA payments. Such measures could include confiscating vehicles, real estate, bank deposits and other assets to recover funds that have already been distributed. Beyond targeting individual recipients, Hirsch calls for criminal proceedings against senior Palestinian Authority and PLO officials involved in authorizing, financing and administering the program. Among those identified as potential targets for legal action are Abbas, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and Finance Minister Estephan Salameh. Another recommendation would introduce legislation imposing substantial financial penalties on convicted terrorists, with fines calculated according to the total payments they would be expected to receive throughout their prison sentences. Hirsch also calls for broader implementation of legislation enacted by the Knesset in 2023 allowing Israeli citizenship or residency to be revoked from convicted terrorists who receive payments from the Palestinian Authority. Although the law passed with overwhelming parliamentary support, the study reports that it has been applied in only two cases. On the international front, Hirsch recommends that the Trump administration expand the use of American counterterrorism sanctions against Palestinian officials and institutions involved in the payment system. He points to existing U.S. legal authorities, including Executive Order 13224, as potential mechanisms for imposing financial restrictions on those responsible for distributing or receiving payments linked to terrorism. The report also calls for closer cooperation between Israeli and American authorities, including the exchange of financial intelligence and information about individuals benefiting from the program. Hirsch recommends establishing an interministerial Israeli task force involving the Defense Ministry, National Security Ministry, Finance Ministry, Justice Ministry and Shin Bet to coordinate enforcement and improve the recovery of funds. The study’s findings come despite Abbas’s previous assurances to Washington that the Palestinian Authority would end payments tied to imprisonment for terrorist offenses. Hirsch maintains that changes to the program’s administration have not brought an end to the financial benefits themselves. With more than 20 million shekels reportedly continuing to reach recipients each month, Hirsch argues that the principal obstacle is no longer a lack of legal authority but the limited use of enforcement powers already available to Israel.