Saudi Arabia to send $100m. to cash-strapped PA

Saudi Arabia has decided to channel $100 million to the Palestinian Authority, which is facing a severe financial crisis, the PA announced on Wednesday.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas received a phone call from the Saudi finance minister, who informed him that the Saudi monarch has decided to channel the funds.

Abbas thanked the Saudi king for his decision, noting that the PA was suffering from a severe crisis, according to a PA official in Ramallah.

The Saudi decision came following repeated appeals by the PA leadership to help the Palestinians financially in wake of Israel’s decision to seize tax revenues belonging to the PA. The confiscated funds have been used to pay Palestinians’ debts to the Israel Electric Corporation.

PA officials had accused the Arab countries of failing to fulfill their promise to give the Palestinians $100m. each month in compensation in the aftermath of the UN General Assembly’s vote in favor of upgrading the Palestinians’ status.

The transfer of the Saudi funds will prevent a general strike called by PA public servants who have not received full salaries for the past two months.

Meanwhile, Fatah and Hamas representatives are set to resume reconciliation talks in Cairo on Thursday.

Leaders of the rival parties will discuss ways of implementing previous reconciliation deals, Hamas and Fatah officials said.

The talks are being held under the auspices of the Egyptian government.

The Fatah team would be headed by Azzam al-Ahmed, while Musa Abu Marzouk will lead the Hamas delegation.