Overview
- Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the Palestinian Authority disbursed about $70 million to members of the 250-person group released in the October ceasefire–hostage agreement.
- Israel freed 250 convicted Palestinian prisoners as part of the latest deal to secure the return of hostages held in Gaza.
- Former Israeli military prosecutor Maurice Hirsch said 160 of those released accumulated millionaire-level sums from PA stipends that rise with years served.
- Hirsch cited salary tiers of roughly NIS 8,000 per month and reported sharp raises in 2006 and 2011, with funds accruing in bank accounts during incarceration.
- Analysts trace the payments to a 2004 program that includes benefits such as health care and government jobs, and they question whether a February pledge to end the practice actually halted it.