RAMALLAH, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Health Ministry warned Thursday that the lives of thousands of Palestinian patients are at risk due to severe medicine shortages caused by Israel's continued freeze on tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
In a press statement, the ministry said over one-third of the essential medicines on its list are completely out of stock, while hundreds of other medicines have fallen below emergency stock levels.
The shortages threaten the lives of more than 4,000 cancer patients and thousands of kidney dialysis patients who depend on continuous treatment, it said, adding that over 11,000 scheduled surgeries have been postponed.
The continued withholding of Palestinian tax revenues jeopardizes not just state finances but the entire stability of the healthcare system, it said, calling for urgent support from donors and intervention from the international community.
Under existing arrangements, Israel collects customs duties and value-added taxes on goods imported into Palestinian territories and transfers the funds to the PA monthly.
Israel has withheld portions of those revenues since 2019, citing payments made by the PA to prisoners and released detainees.
