Former PA PM: Until Oct. 7, the PA paid for everything in Gaza, but Hamas stole the money from the citizens

Former PA Prime Minister and Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtayyeh: "In the Gaza Strip we had 19,000 [PA] Security [Forces] personnel who received salaries on Oct. 7, in Gaza we had 18,204 [PA] public employees… All of them received salaries from the PA.

Until Oct. 7…  Although Hamas managed the security situation and the like, we continued to provide salaries and services. All the medical expenses [were paid] by the PA. All the curricula – we printed the textbooks in the West Bank and transferred them to Gaza."

Host: "And the birth certificates."

Muhammad Shtayyeh: "Everything, passports, birth certificates, all aspects of life. Even the electricity bills, everything was paid by the PA. The water bills, education, health, everything. Hamas used to collect [money for the] bills [from the citizens] and take [the money] for itself."

[Al-Arabiya TV, YouTube channel, July 29, 2025]

Hamas collected money for electricity and water etc. from the Gazan citizens but did not use it to pay the bills.