RAMALLAH, Monday, February 28, 2022 (WAFA) - Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh today said that the Israeli occupation is the main cause behind the financial crisis we are facing.

Shtayyeh, during a virtual meeting with Deputy Chief in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)'s Fiscal Affairs Department, Alexander Tieman, stressed that the difficult economic situation we are facing is the result of Israel's continuous measures to piracy our money, the obstacles it places on the free movement of goods and individuals, and our inability to access and exploit area C of the West Bank, which constitutes 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and falls under full Israeli military rule.

The Prime Minister renewed his demand to pressure Israel to release the Palestinian withheld funds in order to enable the Palestinian government to fulfill its obligations towards the Palestinian people to the fullest.

Shtayyeh reviewed the government's efforts and plans to advance the rapid recovery from the Corona pandemic, to manage the financial crisis with the least available resources, in addition to work on preparing an agenda for financial and administrative reform, and economic advancement.

T.R.