Cabinet warns of escalating settler crimes and the risk of their escalation into ethnic cleansing crimes
Cabinet reviews key features of the 2026 budget as a cash-flow-based emergency budget
Cabinet approves transition to online learning for school students, with the exception of Tawjihi students, in line with safety measures
Cabinet approves Eid al-Fitr holiday from the morning of Thursday, March 19, until the evening of Sunday, March 22
RAMALLAH, March 10, 2026 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Cabinet warned of the dangerous escalation in crimes committed by terrorist settler militias under the protection of the Israeli occupation army, which in recent days have resulted in the killing of eight Palestinian citizens in Deir Abu Falah, Qaryut, and Yatta.
The Cabinet affirmed that the systematic unleashing of settler terrorism, at a time when the world is preoccupied with wars and crises, represents a serious indicator that these attacks may escalate into acts of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. Particularly in the absence of international accountability and justice, which only encourages the continuation and escalation of such crimes.
In this context, Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa directed all government institutions to intensify and unify their efforts and activate programs aimed at supporting citizens and strengthening their resilience, particularly in areas targeted by attacks from Israeli occupation forces and settler gangs.
The Cabinet also condemned Israel’s continued violations of the ceasefire and the targeting of tents sheltering displaced people, amid troubling international silence regarding these crimes. These attacks have raised the death toll to approximately 645 martyrs since October 2025, nearly half of whom are women, children, and the elderly, indicating the continued targeting of civilians and the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Estephan Salameh presented the general framework of the 2026 budget, explaining that it will be an emergency budget based on actual cash flow. Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance will, until the end of the year, spend only the liquidity available in the public treasury to ensure the continued provision of essential services—primarily education, health, and security—while controlling expenditures and enhancing domestic revenues. The government will also continue to pay a percentage of public sector salaries according to available resources until the clearance revenues are restored.
The Cabinet stressed that these exceptional arrangements will in no way replace the Palestinian people’s established rights to the clearance revenues withheld by the Israeli government, which now amount to approximately $5 billion. The Cabinet renewed its call on international partners to intensify pressure on Israel to release these funds without delay.
T.R.
