A senior Palestinian National Authority (PNA) official on Monday expressed hope that Israel would soon release the tax revenue dues, which has been withheld since early January.

PNA Foreign Affairs Minister Reyad al-Malki told "Voice of Palestine" Radio that several European countries "have informed us that the withheld tax revenue dues will be transferred to the PNA treasury after the end of the Israel parliamentary elections, due to be held on Tuesday."

"So far, we haven't received any indication that Israel intends to transfer our withheld money," al-Malki said.

He said that the PNA had recently sent letters to the United States and to several European countries, warning of adverse impacts on security in the region if Israel continued withholding the tax money.

Israel decided to withhold transferring the tax revenue dues to the PNA in early January in response to Palestinian decision to join 20 international agencies and treaties including the International Criminal Court.

The move has thrown the PNA into a severe fiscal crisis, making it unable to pay monthly salaries to 120,000 civil and security servants in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Endit

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