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Palestinians to end ‘martyr’ payments soon, US official tells ‘Politico’

A senior Biden administration official told the publication that there has been “a great deal of work” behind the scenes on the “pay-for-slay” program, “and the progress is encouraging.”

Samantha Power Abbas
USAID Administrator Samantha Power met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Feb. 29, 2024. Credit: USAID.

The Palestinian Authority is close to signing a deal to shutter its program compensating families of terrorists, instead launching a general social-welfare service, Politico reported on Friday.

The “martyr payments,” also called “pay for slay,” cost the Palestinian Authority “$300 million annually, at 8% of its budget,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and other members of Congress stated last July.

“There’s been a great deal of work on this behind the scenes, and the progress is encouraging,” a senior Biden administration official told Politico.

“Another administration official confirmed changes to the system were expected soon,” Politico added. “That said, as with all things involving Israel and the Palestinians, new roadblocks could emerge.”

The president did not say where the negotiations would take place.
Ambassador Michel Issa warned that implementing the June framework requires careful work to protect civilians.
“The country of Israel joins me in this commitment,” the U.S. president said of the negotiations.
The Israeli military also killed a Hamas deputy cell commander who doubled as a physician in Shifa Hospital.