RAMALLAH, January 18, 2026 (WAFA) – Spain has reaffirmed its commitment to mobilizing donor countries to renew a previous initiative, in coordination with Saudi Arabia, France, and Norway, aimed at securing new grants for the “Emergency Alliance for the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Government” fund.
The initiative seeks to enable the Palestinian government to continue providing essential services despite Israel withholding Palestinian tax revenues—which it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority under existing agreements—for the ninth consecutive month.
This was stated during discussions between Palestinian Minister of Finance and Planning Estephan Salameh and senior Spanish officials during his recent visit to Madrid, following an invitation from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Salameh said that Spain and its partners are working to renew international grants for the fund, potentially bringing in additional donor countries in the future. He stressed that Spain’s support for Palestine is unconditional.
Previously, member countries of the International Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, led by France and Saudi Arabia, contributed $200 million to the fund, with Saudi Arabia providing $90 million. These contributions allowed the Ministry of Finance to meet some of its obligations over the past months, including salaries and essential sector expenditures, despite Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues.
Salameh welcomed Spain’s pledge to increase developmental support to Palestine to €75 million over the next two years, including a new allocation for budget support and enhanced funding for UNRWA and humanitarian interventions in Gaza and the West Bank.
He also praised Spain’s political support for Palestinian rights and its role within European Union institutions in mobilizing financial and political assistance, urging EU member states to take concrete steps to counter Israeli policies aimed at imposing facts on the ground.
During his visit, Salameh met with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Diego Martínez Belío, Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports Milagros Tolón, Chairwoman of the International Cooperation Committee in the Spanish Parliament Susana Ros Martínez, and the Director-General of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation Antón Leis García.
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