RAMALLAH, September 20, 2026 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa held a videoconference today with Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, to discuss mobilizing financial support for Palestinian development projects and direct budget assistance.

The meeting comes amid a severe financial crisis exacerbated by Israeli measures and the ongoing withholding of Palestinian tax revenues.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Planning, Estephan Salameh.

During the discussion, Prime Minister Mustafa emphasized the critical need for direct budgetary support alongside targeted funding for the health and education sectors to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential services to the Palestinian people.

With key international meetings scheduled on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week, Mustafa urged donor countries to expedite funding, either through World Bank mechanisms or via direct assistance.

He also expressed his appreciation for the World Bank's continued support for the Palestinian people and national institutions during these exceptional circumstances.

For her part, Bjerde reaffirmed the World Bank's commitment to supporting Palestine through its current humanitarian and economic hardships. She outlined the Bank's immediate, short-term, and medium-term funding priorities to address the ongoing crisis.

T.R.