The US called on Israel to release frozen Palestinian funds.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on Israel to give the Palestinian Authority access to funds frozen since the start of the conflict.

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“They need to get it to be able to pay their people who provide essential services, including essential work in the West Bank and Palestinian security forces,” Blinken said during a news conference broadcast by the State Department.

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The American diplomat added that the Palestinian authorities “play a very important role in seeking to maintain peace and security in the West Bank, which is in the interests of Israel.”

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In December, the Washingon Post newspaper, citing sources, reported that American authorities are trying to convince Israel to unblock salaries of Palestinian Authority employees to prevent a complete collapse of the autonomy’s power.