The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) may stop carrying out its duties this summer due to a lack of funding, according to Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, Report informs via Reuters.
"The situation is extremely difficult. The Palestinian Authority, with whom we work closely, is warning us that it may cease to function this summer," Eide told the agency.
Among the reasons cited by the Norwegian diplomat are insufficient financing and the denial of work permits for 500,000 Palestinians in Israel. The PNA's headquarters is located in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank.
Eide emphasized that the cessation of the PNA's operations would lead to another conflict similar to the confrontation between Israeli forces and the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. Such a development, he noted, would be terrible for everyone, including the people of Israel.
On June 7, the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that due to the fighting in the Gaza Strip, the unemployment rate in the West Bank reached 32%.