'Pay to slay:' PA spent $156 million on terror payments in 2025 US report shows
Foreign Minister Sa'ar has called for an end to what he described as the international “whitewashing” of terror-related payments, praising Washington’s “moral clarity” in the report
The U.S. State Department has officially notified Congress that it cannot certify the Palestinian Authority’s compliance with the Taylor Force Act, documenting that the PA distributed roughly $156 million in "pay-for-slay" stipends during 2025.
The report, which covers activity through February 2026, details how the PA continues to prioritize financial rewards for terrorists and their families despite repeated international calls for reform.
According to the findings, the PA utilized $126 million for payments to imprisoned and released terrorists, while another $30 million was funneled to the families of those killed while carrying out attacks.
The State Department noted that while the PA introduced a new social welfare agency, the Palestinian National Foundation for Economic Empowerment (PNEEI), the mechanism remains a vehicle for the same prohibited compensation. U.S. investigators determined that the PA continues to use official channels to notify released prisoners of the administrative steps required to collect their monthly salaries.
The report highlights specific cases, including several terrorists released in 2025 exchange deals who were owed over $1.5 million in accumulated back-pay. Despite claims of a policy shift, PA Finance Minister Estephan Salameh reaffirmed in February 2026 that the authority had not abandoned its commitment to these payments.
Furthermore, the State Department cited ongoing concerns regarding incitement within Palestinian textbooks and the public glorification of released militants by high-ranking officials.
https://x.com/i/web/status/2049386697712861294
This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking .
Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar welcomed the report’s findings, praising the United States for its transparency regarding the PA's financial activities. Sa’ar emphasized that the $156 million figure proves the "pay-for-slay" system remains a fundamental part of the PA’s operations rather than a relic of the past.
He called on the broader international community to stop "whitewashing" these actions and to join the U.S. in holding the Palestinian leadership accountable for the continued incentivization of violence.