The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has frozen all funds for the Palestinian Authority’s security forces as part of a broader freeze on foreign aid, according to U.S. and Palestinian officials.
The freezing of funds comes at a critical time for the Palestinian Authority, as it faces challenges in maintaining control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and is struggling to secure governance in the Gaza Strip following the war, reports The Washington Post.
Washington had initially halted direct aid to the Palestinian Authority during Trump’s first term in the White House but continued to fund the training and reform of security forces.
The training and courses are managed through the U.S. Security Coordination Office based in Jerusalem, formerly known as the U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which consists of a group of states.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority’s security forces, Anwar Rajab, told The Washington Post that the United States was considered a “major donor for the Palestinian Authority’s projects,” including security force training.
An unnamed former Israeli security official stated that the Palestinian Authority’s security forces “have not been significantly affected” by the freeze and that “other donors have committed to filling the gap.”
