Abbas acknowledges continued payouts to Palestinian prisoners amid Fatah re-election

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has acknowledged that payments to imprisoned Palestinian security prisoners and their families are still being made, despite previous claims that the system had been abolished.

Speaking at the 8th General Conference of Fatah, Abbas criticized Israel’s withholding of tax revenues transferred to the Palestinian Authority, saying the funds are needed to cover salaries and other expenses, including payments to prisoners. “We need this money to pay employees, prisoners, etc., as well as other expenses,” he said.

The remarks have renewed scrutiny of the long-debated “Pay-for-Slay” policy, under which the Palestinian Authority provides stipends to Palestinians convicted of attacks against Israelis, as well as to their families. Israel has long condemned the system, arguing it incentivizes terrorism.

Abbas had previously stated that the policy had been abolished amid international pressure, including from the United States and Israel. However, his latest comments suggest that such payments have continued in some form, despite those claims.

For Israel, the admission is likely to reinforce its justification for withholding portions of tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority- funds that are a critical source of income for the Ramallah-based government, which is facing an ongoing fiscal crisis.

The controversy comes as the Palestinian leadership attempts to balance calls for internal legitimacy and reform with external pressure over governance practices that critics say undermine prospects for future political normalization.

Earlier Fatah, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority, has unanimously re-elected Mahmoud Abbas as its leader, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.