Palestinian Authority welcomes foreign fund pledges

The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Friday welcomed foreign funding pledges it said would help sustain government services while Israel withholds tax revenues it collects on its behalf.

Donor countries, including Saudi Arabia, Germany and Spain, pledged at least $170m to finance the budget of the Ramallah-based PA at a meeting in New York on Thursday, according to the office of PA Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.

The announcement came as world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly, following a recent wave of recognitions of the State of Palestine by countries such as France and the UK.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who addressed the General Assembly by video on Thursday, rejected any future role for Hamas in Palestinian governance. The PA has had no leadership role in Gaza.