Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree ending the controversial “pay-to-slay” policy, which provides payments to families of Palestinian prisoners convicted of attacks on Israelis.
The decree, issued Monday, states that families of prisoners and slain attackers will now receive financial assistance based solely on economic need, rather than the length of their sentences or the nature of their crimes.
The decision has been met with fierce criticism from within the Palestinian leadership. Qadura Fares, head of the PA’s Commission for Prisoner Affairs called for the decree’s withdrawal, saying the change is expected to impact between 35,000 and 40,000 families.
Militant group Hamas also condemned the move, calling it a betrayal of Palestinian prisoners and “a dangerous concession” to foreign pressure.
The decision appears to be aimed at improving relations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which has demanded an end to the payment system as a condition for future diplomatic engagement. Washington and Tel Aviv have long argued that the policy incentivized violence against Israelis.
Despite Abbas’s decree, the Israeli government expressed skepticism, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry calling the change “a deceptive maneuver” and alleging that the PA intends to continue payments through alternative channels.
