Palestinian PM to attend donor meeting in Brussels

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye is expected to fly to Brussels on Monday for a meeting of donor countries over the worsening financial situation in Palestine.

The meeting is organized by the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), a 15-member group that serves as a coordination mechanism for assistance to the Palestinian people.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told the official radio station Voice of Palestine that Ishtaye will urge the donor countries to take measures to force Israel to all Palestinian tax revenues.

According to Abdul Rahim Farra, Palestinian ambassador to Brussels, a preliminary meeting will be held later on Monday while the official AHLC meeting headed by Norway will start on Tuesday in the presence of Federica Mogherini, EU foreign policy chief.

Earlier in the day, the Palestinian Authority said it had returned all tax transfers to Israel as it refuses partial payment of the taxes Israel collects on behalf of the authority.

According to Israeli media, Israel had secretly transferred nearly 182 million U.S. dollars of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority to "prevent its collapse because of its financial crisis."

Israel decided in February to deduct these tax revenues, saying the deducted money was paid to families of Palestinians who carried out "terrorist acts" against Israel.