Qais Omar Darwesh Omar
08 June 2026•Update: 08 June 2026
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa called Monday for increased international pressure on Israel to halt Tel Aviv’s "illegal measures” and occupiers’ “terrorism" amid escalating attacks in the occupied West Bank.
The appeal came during the premier’s meeting with a high-level European delegation in Ramallah, on the sidelines of the launch of the eighth edition of the European-Palestinian Investment Platform.
Mustafa said attacks by Israeli occupiers reached 1,659 in May alone, calling the violence “part of attempts to displace Palestinian residents and seize more land,” according to a statement by his office.
He said Israel's continued withholding of clearance revenues and the decline of the Palestinian economy by about 30% of GDP have caused the unemployment rates “to soar to unprecedented levels.”
Clearance revenues are taxes levied on goods imported into the Palestinian territories, whether from Israel or through border crossings controlled by Tel Aviv, and are collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Since 2019, Israel has deducted portions of the funds under various pretexts and has not transferred any of the revenues for more than a year. The total amount withheld now exceeds $5 billion.
Mustafa called on the European Union to strengthen its involvement in relief and early recovery efforts amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and Israel's continued violations of the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 2025.
For his part, delegation member Michael Karnitschnig, acting director-general of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and Gulf, affirmed the EU's commitment to providing political and economic support to Palestine and its rejection of the occupiers' violence and unilateral Israeli measures.
He stressed the need to support the unity of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the legitimacy of the Palestinian political system.
Jelsomina Villioti, vice president of the European Investment Bank, also underlined the bank’s support for the Palestinian economy, including projects targeting the private sector, infrastructure, and the improvement of public services.
Israeli violence has surged across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, with Palestinian officials reporting 1,169 deaths, 12,666 injuries, nearly 23,000 arrests, and the displacement of around 33,000 people.
*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul
