The Trump administration has stopped all funding to the Palestinian Authority security forces as part of the global freeze on foreign assistance, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing US and Palestinian officials.
The Washington Post reports that the aid freeze comes at a critical moment for the Palestinian Authority, which is struggling to maintain control in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank while vying for governance over a postwar Gaza Strip. Despite being underfunded and widely unpopular, the authority’s security forces are seen as key to maintaining law and order in both areas.
The last time Washington halted direct aid to the Palestinian Authority was during Donald Trump’s first term, though funding for training and reform of the security forces continued, according to The Washington Post. These training efforts are managed through the Jerusalem-based Office of the Security Coordinator—formerly known as the US Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority—which consists of a consortium of countries.
