RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israel said yesterday it would resume regular monthly transfers of about $100 million in taxes and customs it collects for the Palestinian Authority, giving much-needed relief to the West Bank government.
The decision came just days after President Obama met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a visit to the region.
Obama said stabilizing the Palestinian Authority, which is buckling under mounting debt, is key to US peace efforts.
Israel has repeatedly halted the money transfers over political disputes, most recently after the Palestinians’ successful bid in November to win UN recognition of a state in lands that Israel captured in 1967.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad accused Israel of withholding the funds illegally, saying the money belonged to the Palestinians.
The transfers are an important part of the budget of the Palestinian Authority, which administers 38 percent of the West Bank.