UN envoy calls on Israel to release Palestinian tax revenues

The United Nations official charged with coordinating the Middle East peace process yesterday reiterated his demands to the Israeli authorities to the release millions of dollars in tax revenues owned to the Palestinian Authority.

Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said in a statement following his meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Ramallah that the United Nations is committed to its continued support for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

“The UN remains committed to supporting the reconstruction of Gaza and with the advent of a number of large scale housing and infrastructure projects, it would be important for Israel and all stakeholders to work together and accelerate the entry of construction materials,” he said.

Mladenov welcomed the Palestinian unity government’s commitment to its rightful responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.

“I am encouraged by my meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah and the commitment of his government to assume its rightful responsibilities in Gaza, including on the control of the crossings as well as civil service reform and integration,” he said.

Israel stopped transferring tax revenues to the PA nearly three month ago in retaliation for the Palestinian Authority’s decision to join a number of international treaties including the International Criminal Court.