Council of Ministers: The 2026 budget will be an emergency budget governed by actual cash flow

SadaNews - The Council of Ministers warned of the alarming rise in crimes committed by the terrorist colonial militias under the protection of the occupation army, which led to the martyrdom of 8 citizens in Deir Abu Flah, Qaryut, and Yatta within days.

The council confirmed that the rampant terrorism of the colonizers in such a systematic manner, amid the world's preoccupation with wars and crises, constitutes a serious indicator of the escalation of these assaults to the level of ethnic cleansing crimes against the Palestinians, especially in light of the absence of international accountability and legal action, which encourages the continuation and escalation of these crimes.

In this regard, Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa directed various government institutions to intensify and unify their efforts and activate programs to support and enhance the resilience of citizens, especially in the targeted areas by the assaults of the occupation forces and the colonial gangs.

The council also condemned Israel's continued violations of the ceasefire and its targeting of the tents of displaced persons, amid an alarming international silence regarding these crimes, which raises the death toll to about 645 martyrs since October 2025, nearly half of whom are women, children, and the elderly, indicating the ongoing targeting of civilians and the worsening humanitarian disaster in the sector.

Furthermore, Finance and Planning Minister Estefan Salama presented the general framework for the 2026 budget, clarifying that it will be an emergency budget based on actual cash flow. The Ministry of Finance will spend, until the end of the year, what is available in terms of liquidity in the public treasury, ensuring the continued provision of basic services, foremost among them education, health, and security, while controlling spending and developing local revenues, with continued payment of a portion of salaries according to capabilities until the recovery of the clearance transfers.

The Council of Ministers emphasized that these exceptional arrangements will in no way substitute the established Palestinian rights to the withheld clearance funds from the Israeli government, which are now valued at nearly $5 billion. The council renewed its call for international partners to double the pressure on Israel to release these funds without delay.

In the context of the educational process, and despite the government's emphasis on the importance of maintaining the quality of the educational process and the gradual return to in-person attendance, given the increase in incidents of falling explosive rocket fragments, the council decided to switch to full electronic education for school students, except for Tawjihi students, while adhering to public safety measures. Regarding universities, colleges, and institutes, they are given the freedom to determine their attendance mechanism in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, while kindergartens will be suspended. The Ministry of Education will issue its detailed guidelines in this regard according to the developments in the situation.

The council also approved the renewal of contracts with traffic controllers on the Kafr Aqab/Qalandiya road, which contributes to alleviating traffic congestion in the area.

The council also approved the project for the regulation of accepting symbolic and protocol gifts after discussing it in the third reading, which organizes the acceptance of gifts and reporting on them, and determines their criteria and the handling of them in a way that ensures the prevention of conflict of interest. This regulation comes as a substitute and an update of the previous system and enhances governance and transparency in dealing with gifts and handling them according to international standards.

The council also discussed in the first reading the financial and accounting system project for the Palestinian Electricity Transmission Company, which helps enhance transparency and governance in the company's operations and regulate financial authorities and responsibilities.

In the first reading, the council also discussed the national policy for digital accessibility in Palestine and the expansion of digital services for all segments of society, especially for people with disabilities, in accordance with the international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

On the occasion of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the council approved the holiday from Thursday morning, March 19, until Sunday evening, March 22, wishing that this occasion brings goodness to our people and the Arab and Islamic nations.