The Palestinian Authority transferred approximately half a billion shekels to terrorists in 2025 under its “pay-for-slay” mechanism, which provides payments to imprisoned terrorists and to the families of attackers, The Jerusalem Post learned on Wednesday.
The information was disclosed during a cabinet meeting convened on Sunday. Of the total amount, NIS 395 million was paid to terrorists currently in prison, while NIS 92 million was transferred to the families of terrorists killed while carrying out attacks.
Ministers were also informed that terrorists released as part of the most recent hostage deals received a “special grant” from the Palestinian Authority.
Since October 7, international criticism has intensified over the Palestinian Authority’s continued payments to terrorists and their families.
PA continues pay-for-slay scheme despite Israeli, US measures to stop it
The Trump administration reportedly threatened last year to impose sanctions on the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority and other senior PA officials if the payments continued.
In an apparent effort to avert such measures, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) dismissed the Palestinian finance minister who had signed off on the transfers. However, it was revealed during the cabinet meeting that the newly appointed finance minister has continued to authorize payments to terrorists.
“All the Palestinian Authority’s theatrics will not help, Abu Mazen himself has said that the Authority will continue paying terrorists’ families down to the last shekel," Minister Avi Dichter said during the meeting.
“Just as Mordechai exposed Haman as a foe and enemy before Ahasuerus, and the great challenge was convincing Ahasuerus, Netanyahu must convince President Trump that Abu Mazen is a foe and enemy," Minister Orit Strock said.
Senior security officials further told ministers that in recent months, salaries of Palestinian Authority employees, including teachers, doctors, and nurses, have been reduced to ensure that payments to terrorists remain unaffected.
In recent months, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has raised the issue in discussions with senior officials from various countries, including at the United Nations last week.
He emphasized that the Palestinian Authority continues to make payments to terrorists despite claiming the practice has ceased. Sa’ar presented his counterparts with data on payments and distributed copies of the current PA law, which underscores the importance of prisoners and mandates financial support for them.
The current average salary in the Palestinian Authority stands at approximately 3,000 shekels per month. Payments to terrorists, however, can reach as much as 12,000 shekels per month.
In 2018, Israel enacted a law requiring the freezing of funds equivalent to the amounts the Palestinian Authority pays in connection with terrorism. These sums are deducted from the tax revenues that the Government of Israel transfers to the PA.
The annual report submitted to the cabinet details the total amount paid by the “Palestinian Authority’s Martyrs’ Fund” to terrorists and their families during the preceding year. In the following year, one-twelfth of that amount is frozen each month from the tax funds Israel transfers to the PA.
According to data presented to the cabinet, a total of 4 billion shekels has been frozen to date under this procedure.
In effect, since 2018, billions of shekels have been transferred by the Palestinian Authority to the families of terrorists. Security officials clarified during the meeting that the figures disclosed reflect known payments and that additional sums are believed to have been transferred through other channels.