Hamas calls for resistance against Israeli tax move

GAZA-Anadolu Agency

The Hamas resistance group called on the Palestinian administration Jan. 1 to work together with it and other groups against Israel's decision to withhold millions of dollars in tax funds from Palestinians.

In a statement, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the decision once again proves the "piracy of Israel.”

Israel's security cabinet voted Dec. 29 to deduct $43 million from the tax funds the Israeli administration transfers each month to the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinians say the funds are needed to help families affected by violence and the Israeli occupation.

The cabinet also approved the withholding of $144 million of tax funds from Palestinians in Feb. 2019.

Qassem also called on Palestinian groups to collaborate to resist the implementation of policies and decisions by the Israeli administration and its Defense Minister Naftali Bennett towards Palestine and Palestinian captives.

Israel's 13-year-old blockade of the Gaza Strip has shattered the coastal enclave's economy and deprived its 2 million inhabitants of free movement in and out from Gaza, preventing the entry of many basic amenities.