Palestinian Authority halts payments to martyrs’ families, sparking immediate backlash

TEHRAN (Iran News)  The Palestinian Authority (PA) has halted payments to the families of Palestinian martyrs, injured, and prisoners, drawing a harsh rebuke from Palestinian resistance movements.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Monday to revoke legal articles relating to the payments initiative – a longstanding demand by the United States and the Israeli regime.

According to the text of the decree, the payments will be transferred to a government body affiliated with the PA president’s office.

American news website Axios cited a senior Palestinian official as saying that the PA notified the Donald Trump administration in advance of the announcement.

The PA was prepared to make the decision toward the end of Joe Biden’s term, but Abbas decided to wait until Trump took office to give the win to the new administration, the source was quoted as saying.

Hamas: A betrayal of national values

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denounced Abbas’s decision, calling it an abandonment of the national cause at a time when the Palestinian people and resistance forces are “working to preserve the rights of the martyrs, liberate the prisoners, and ensure a dignified life for those who have been freed.”

“We affirm that this action is unpatriotic and represents a departure from one of the national principles,” Hamas said, urging an immediate reversal and a refusal to submit to pressure from Israel and the U.S.

The group emphasized that prisoners, martyrs, and the wounded should be honored, not forsaken.

Fatah: A stab in the back

Abbas’s own party, the Fatah movement, also condemned the decision, calling it a betrayal of those who have made sacrifices for Palestine.

“This decision is a stab in the back of our martyrs, prisoners, and wounded,” the movement said.

It urged all Palestinian factions to pressure the PA to reverse the move and emphasized the importance of supporting the families of those who defended Palestinian rights.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad: A concession to U.S. and Zionist blackmail

Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the decision as an attempt to “weaken the morale of our people and betray the prisoners who spend years in prison.”

“This decision is a clear concession to American and Zionist pressures and blackmail,” the group asserted.

It warned that such policies would only strengthen their determination to continue the fight against occupation.

Palestinian Mujahideen Movement: A punitive measure

The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement also labeled the PA’s decision as a punitive measure against those who made sacrifices for liberation.

“This unacceptable step serves as a grave betrayal of their rights, especially amid the ongoing genocide and suffocating siege,” the movement said.

It called for an immediate reversal of the move and urged steps toward true national unity.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades: A disgraceful act

Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades described the decision as an attack on the blood of martyrs and the suffering of prisoners, condemning the PA for acting under American influence.

“The role of this Authority is simply to pursue the blood of martyrs in their graves and the suffering of prisoners in jails,” the group stated.

It also called on Palestinians to resist these policies.