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Bank of Palestine Defies Israel's Demand on Terrorist Accounts

2/6/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Bank of Palestine declined Israel's Finance Ministry request to close 3,400 accounts linked to payments to released terrorists.
This follows the bank's prior closure of 1,700 accounts.
The Palestinian Authority instructed the bank not to comply, according to sources.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's Finance Minister, warned that noncompliance could trigger Israeli banks to block Bank of Palestine services, harming the Palestinian Authority.

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Story summary

Bank of Palestine declined Israel's Finance Ministry request to close 3,400 accounts linked to payments to released terrorists.
This follows the bank's prior closure of 1,700 accounts.
The Palestinian Authority instructed the bank not to comply, according to sources.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's Finance Minister, warned that noncompliance could trigger Israeli banks to block Bank of Palestine services, harming the Palestinian Authority.