TEL AVIV – On Thursday, Israeli Finance
Minister
Bezalel Smotrich announced his intention to cancel tax benefits for
UNRWA, which currently provides aid to Palestinian refugees, Quds Press
reported.
اضافة اعلان
“The State of Israel will not give tax
benefits to terrorist aides,” Smotrich posted on X, referring to
UNRWA.
Among other things,
UNRWA was previously
entitled to exemptions from customs duties and sales tax on imported goods. It
also received exemptions on
value-added tax (VAT) for imports and fuel-related
taxes.
This decision comes in light of allegations
made by Israel regarding the involvement of 12 UNRWA employees who participated
in Operation
Al-Aqsa Flood on
October 7, 2023. As a result of these
allegations, 18 countries and the EU
suspended their funding for UNRWA.
However, UNRWA has issued a warning that if
its funders do not change their minds, its operations might cease by the end of
February.
UNRWA was established in 1948 to provide
educational and health services to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan,
Syria, and Lebanon. The agency plays a crucial role in providing aid to
two-thirds of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million population during the ongoing war.
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