Palestinian Authority continues to pay salaries to terrorists
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has once again failed to honor the public commitment it made to the United States and European donor countries in January 2025 to end its policy of financially rewarding terrorism. Despite pledging to halt monthly salaries to imprisoned terrorists and stipends to the families of so-called "Martyrs" (killed terrorists), the PA continues these payments.
Palestinian Media Watch can confirm through three different sources that in its most recent monthly payments, the PA once again paid salaries to imprisoned terrorists and allowances to families of "Martyrs." At the beginning of August 2025, when the PA paid civil-servant salaries for May 2025, it also included these terror-reward payments – the policy internationally recognized as the PA's "Pay-for-Slay" program.
The following are the reports:
Radio Al-Zaytouna
"Transfer of salaries for prisoners and families of Martyrs and the wounded via the ATMs of the Palestinian Postal Bank - today, Sunday 3/8/2025."
[Radio Al-Zaytouna 91.6, Salfit, Telegram channel, Aug, 3, 2025]
Free Jenin, Telegram channel
"Please note: Salaries for the wounded, prisoners, and Martyrs can be withdrawn from the Palestinian Postal Bank."
[Free Jenin, Telegram channel, Aug. 5, 2025]
Green Jenin, Telegram channel
"Please note: Salaries for the wounded, prisoners, and Martyrs can be withdrawn from the Palestinian Postal Bank."
[Green Jenin, Telegram channel, Hamas-associated channel, Aug. 5, 2025]
Since 2011, when PMW first notified the donor countries that the Palestinian Authority pays over $300 million a year to reward terrorists, the international community has been demanding that the PA stop its Pay-for-Slay program. In January 2025, desperately in need of additional foreign aid and hoping for international recognition of a Palestinian state, Mahmoud Abbas announced that the PA would stop the payments.
In February this year, contradicting what he told the international donors, Mahmoud Abbas told Palestinians that he would never stop or lessen the rewards to the prisoners and Martyrs.
Mahmoud Abbas: "I told you once and I stand by my word: Even if we have [only] one penny left, it is for the prisoners and Martyrs."
[PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, YouTube channel, Feb. 21, 2025]
As is always the case, the PA truth is what it tells its own people, and not what it promises the international community.