“To date, we have moved $295.7 million in fiscal year 2012money…and $200 million in fiscal year 2013 assistance,” StateDepartment spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.
The first sum comprises around $195.7 million, allocated under the2012 fiscal year budget for US Agency for International Development(USAID) economic, development and humanitarian assistance, as wellas a further $100 million allocated to narcotics control.
The second sum of $200 million will come under the 2013 budget andbe spent for direct budget support.
The news was announced after US President Barack Obama andSecretary of State John Kerry met with Israeli and Palestinianleaders in a visit to Israel and the West Bank earlier this week.It was Obama’s first trip to the region since taking office in2009.
The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) current economic crisis is largelydue to promised aid going undelivered. However, the situationworsened after President Mahmoud Abbas won upgraded UN non-memberobserver status at the UN General Assembly last November.
The move prompted Congress to freeze Palestinian aid. It alsoresulted in Israel halting the delivery of Palestinian tax revenuesto the PA – with the exception of a one-off payment of $100 millionin January.
The PA took action earlier this month, urging the world to step upfinancial aid and press Israel to allow economic development. Itwarned of a “political collapse” due to Israel’s fiscalstrangulation.
During a meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah onThursday, Obama reportedly asked the leader to refrain from turningto the International Criminal Court
“for any reason,” including settlement expansion, the Times of Israel reported.
Abbas previously stated that he would turn to the court if Israelbegan to build in the controversial E1 corridor that connects EastJerusalem with the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim, but wouldwait two months before doing so, London-based Asharq Al-Awsatnewspaper reported.
Israel announced its plans to build in the area after Abbas’ movefor a UN status upgrade.
Arrests for rocket launches during Obama visit
Meanwhile, two Salafist terrorists have been arrested forallegedly firing two rockets at Israel during Obama’s Thursdayvisit, a source close to the Palestinian Islamist hardliners toldAFP.
According to the sources, "the Hamas internal security forcesarrested two of our Salafist brothers" in the center of theGaza Strip.
The two rockets hit southern Israel, one of them landing in thetown of Sderot, before Obama traveled from Jerusalem to theRamallah to hold talks with Abbas.
In a statement titled, "The demolition of Sderot by rocketbombardment in reaction to the visit of the dog Obama," theMujahideen Shura Council – a coalition of Salafist groups in Gaza –claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Israel responded by halving the distance from the shore that Gazafishermen are allowed to sail and shutting the Kerem Shalom goodscrossing from Israel into the territory, according to a militarystatement.
