Israel’s government is suspending until further notice the transfer of millions to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, accusing it of “supporting” the attack by Hamas against sectors of Israeli territory on October 7, the deadliest by the Jewish state.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced via X (the former Twitter) that due to the “Palestine Authority’s support for the massacres of Hamas”, he asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider in the cabinet whether the money transfers will continue and added “until until a decision is made, we stop the payments.”

He accompanied the post with a montage of statements by officials from the Fatah party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who characterized the Hamas attack as part of “armed resistance” against the Israeli occupation.

Israel collects taxes, fees and duties on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. It transfers to its coffers around 150 million euros per month, according to the latest available data.

The Palestinian Authority has not yet reacted to Mr. Smotrich’s decision.

Its president Mahmoud Abbas declared immediately after the attack that the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, does not represent the Palestinian people, rejected the killing of civilians and called on all parties to release hostages and prisoners respectively.

After the attack by Hamas – which Israel, the US and the EU describe as a “terrorist” organization – with over 1,400 dead, the majority of them civilians, the Israeli army has been relentlessly bombarding the Gaza Strip with the so far toll having exceed 8,300 dead, also in the majority of them civilians, according to the most recent data of the Ministry of Health.