RAMALLAH, September 27, 2026 (WAFA) — Minister of Finance and Planning Estephan Salameh said today that the international community is now required to provide greater assistance to the Palestinian people as the Palestinian government remains unable to recover clearance revenues withheld by Israel for the 17th consecutive month, threatening the ability of public institutions to provide vital services.
Salameh made the remarks while participating remotely in the regular ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Palestinian delegation was unable to attend the meeting in person due to the negative US position.
Salameh thanked donor countries for the assistance they provide to the Palestinian people, but stressed that it remains insufficient given the growing risks threatening the Palestinian people's ability to remain on their land, particularly amid the continued withholding of clearance revenues and increasing Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian economy and the movement of people and goods.
Participants in the ministerial meeting commended the steps taken by 12 countries, led by Britain, against illegal settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settler violence.
Regarding the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Salameh stressed the need to maintain focus on the early recovery and reconstruction plan developed by the Palestinian government and the United Nations, amid continued uncertainty on security and political matters, particularly as several European donors remain outside the peace process.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to the two-state solution and called for an end to measures that undermine it, the reunification of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank within a single Palestinian entity, consolidation of the Gaza ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction, support for Palestinian state institutions and the holding of elections, and adherence to international law and UN resolutions.
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