Trump Halts US Aid to Palestinian Security Forces
The Trump administration has suspended all financial aid to the Palestinian Authority's security forces, as part of its broader freeze on foreign assistance, according to a report by The Washington Post, citing both US and Palestinian officials.
The funding halt comes at a critical time for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is struggling to maintain security control in parts of the occupied West Bank while also positioning itself for a potential governance role in post-war Gaza.
Despite chronic underfunding, the Palestinian security forces play a key role in maintaining law and order in both the West Bank and Gaza, the report noted.
While the US previously cut direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority during Trump's first term, it continued supporting training and security sector reforms.
This was carried out through the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) in Jerusalem, an international body responsible for overseeing security training efforts.
Palestinian security spokesperson Anwar Rajab told The Washington Post that the US had been a major donor to PA-led projects, including security training and force development programs.
A former Israeli official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, suggested that the funding cut would not have a significant impact on the Palestinian security forces, as other donors had stepped in to fill the gap.
According to a senior Palestinian security officer, the funding halt has already led to reductions in training programs, particularly at the Palestinian Authority's Central Training Institute.
A planned meeting between Palestinian officials and US counterparts to assess PA-led counterinsurgency operations in Jenin Refugee Camp—which were put on hold following Israel's recent military incursion—has also been postponed indefinitely.
Additionally, the US had been funding the development of a virtual shooting range for Palestinian security forces, a crucial resource given that Israel prohibits the import of live ammunition for training.
With the project nearly completed, Palestinian officials are now seeking alternative funding sources due to the American aid freeze.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
2 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt Highlights Path to Sustainable Peace in Africa at Oslo Forum
Taarek Refaat Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdel Ati participated on Wednesday in a high-level session on achieving peace in Africa, held as part of the annual Oslo Forum, a key platform for international dialogue on conflict mediation and peacebuilding. During the session, Abdel Ati underscored Egypt's central role in promoting security and stability across the African continent, reaffirming Cairo's long-standing commitment to supporting the African Union (AU) as the principal framework for advancing peace and development in African states. Addressing an audience of diplomats, mediators, and policymakers, the minister discussed the complex, interlinked challenges facing Africa — including conflict, poverty, and underdevelopment. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach that incorporates social, economic, and developmental strategies to build lasting peace. 'African solutions must be holistic,' he said, 'integrating the economic drivers of conflict with long-term development planning, and grounded in the realities of each country.' Abdel Ati also highlighted the continent's significant potential, citing its dynamic youth population and expansive investment opportunities, particularly in infrastructure. He called for greater international cooperation to harness these assets in ways that promote sustainable growth and integration across African nations. In his concluding remarks, the minister stressed that while short-term interventions are important, Africa requires a long-term vision rooted in African leadership, equitable global partnerships, and development strategies that align with the continent's unique needs and aspirations. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US police make arrests in downtown LA during nighttime curfew - International
Downtown Los Angeles was largely calm overnight into Wednesday, with police arresting at least 25 people for violating a curfew after a fifth day of protests against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Heavily armed security officers, including several riding horses, patrolled near government buildings, while men boarded up storefronts after dark on Tuesday to protect against vandalism. Looting and vandalism in the second-biggest US city have marred the largely peaceful protests over ramped-up arrests by immigration authorities. The demonstrations, which began Friday, and isolated acts of violence prompted Trump to take the extraordinary step of sending in troops, over the objection of the state governor. One protester told AFP the arrest of migrants in a city with large immigrant and Latino populations was the root of the unrest. "I don't think that part of the problem is the peaceful protests. It's whatever else is happening on the other side that is inciting violence," she said Tuesday. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew -- meant to stop vandalism and looting -- was in effect within one square mile (2.5 square kilometres) of the city's more-than-500 square mile area from 8:00 pm and 6:00 am (0300 to 1300 GMT). That zone was off-limits for everyone apart from residents, journalists and emergency services, she added. Protests against immigration arrests by federal law enforcement have also sprung up in cities around the country, including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Austin. On Tuesday, in the Atlanta suburb of Brookhaven, dozens of demonstrators waved American and Mexican flags and held signs against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that has ramped up arrests and deportations of migrants under Trump. "You got people that are being arrested on the street by (immigration) agents that don't wear badges, wear masks... it makes me really angry," 26-year-old protester Brendon Terra told AFP. Breaking curfew The Los Angeles protests again turned ugly Tuesday night, but an hour into the curfew, only a handful of protesters were left downtown, with police making several arrests as they warned stragglers to leave. "Multiple groups continue to congregate" within the designated downtown curfew area, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) wrote on X late Tuesday. "Those groups are being addressed, and mass arrests are being initiated." Police arrested at least 25 people on suspicion of violating the curfew as of Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing an LAPD spokesperson. At their largest, the protests have included a few thousand people taking to the streets, but smaller groups have used the cover of darkness to set fires, daub graffiti, and smash windows. Overnight Monday, 23 businesses were looted, police said, adding that more than 500 people had been arrested over recent days. 'Provide protection' Trump has activated 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles, along with 700 active-duty Marines, in what he has claimed is a necessary escalation to take back control, even though local law enforcement authorities insisted they could handle the unrest. A military spokeswoman said the Marines were expected to be on the streets by Wednesday. Their mission will be to guard federal facilities and provide protection to federal officers during immigration enforcement operations. The Pentagon said the deployment would cost US taxpayers $134 million. Photographs issued by the Marine Corps showed men in combat fatigues using riot shields to practice crowd control techniques at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Late Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state would deploy its National Guard "to locations across the state to ensure peace & order" after solidarity protests. Behaving like 'a tyrant' In sprawling Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was largely a typical day, with tourists thronging Hollywood Boulevard, children attending school and commuter traffic choking streets. But at a military base in North Carolina, Trump painted a darker picture. "What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and national sovereignty," the Republican told troops at Fort Bragg. "We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy." California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has clashed with the president before, said Trump's shock militarisation of the city was the behaviour of "a tyrant, not a president." In a filing to the US District Court in Northern California, Newsom asked for an injunction preventing the use of troops for policing. US law largely prevents the use of the military as a police force -- absent the declaration of an insurrection, which Trump has mused. The president "is trying to use emergency declarations to justify bringing in first the National Guard and then mobilising Marines," said law professor Frank Bowman. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Middle East
3 hours ago
- Middle East
OPEN// Foreign ministry stresses need to comply with Gaza border visit regulations
CAIRO, June 11 (MENA) - Egypt has welcomed the official and popular international and regional positions supporting Palestinian rights and rejecting the blockade, starvation tactics, and systematic and flagrant Israeli violations against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates affirmed that Egypt continues to work at all levels to end the aggression on Gaza and to bring an end to the humanitarian catastrophe impacting more than two million Palestinians. In this context and in light of recent requests and inquiries regarding visits by foreign delegations to the border areas adjacent to Gaza, especially Arish City and Rafah border crossing, Egypt stresses the necessity of obtaining prior approvals to conduct such visits, the ministry said. The only acceptable way for Egyptian authorities to consider these requests is by adhering to the regulatory framework and procedures established since the start of the war on Gaza, according to the statement. This includes submitting official requests to Egyptian embassies abroad, or through requests submitted by foreign embassies in Cairo or representatives of organizations to the foreign ministry, it said. Numerous visits have already been arranged for foreign delegations either representing governmental bodies or non-governmental human rights organizations, the ministry said. 'Egypt underlines the importance of adhering to these established regulations to ensure the safety of visiting delegations given the sensitive and volatile nature of the border area since the beginning of the Gaza crisis.' 'In this regard, Egypt reaffirms that no requests will be considered nor any invitations will be responded to if they fall outside the approved regulatory framework and established mechanisms,' the statement said. 'Egypt also underlines the importance that all foreign nationals must comply with Egyptian laws and entry regulations, including obtaining the necessary visas or pre-approved permits. 'Finally, Egypt reiterates its unwavering stance in support of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and its rejection of Israel's blatant violations of international law and international humanitarian law. 'It further stresses the importance of exerting pressure on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza and to allow humanitarian access through all Israeli-controlled crossings with the Strip.' (MENA) M A A/S R E/R E E
