By : JD News Editor
Jordan Daily – Palestinian security forces said on Monday they arrested three people accused of circulating an audio recording that claimed Israel was preparing to dismantle the Palestinian Authority (PA), a message that spread widely on social media and stoked public concern.
The six-minute recording, shared heavily on WhatsApp, featured two unidentified voices alleging that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had decided to sever economic ties with the PA and threatened to close Palestinian banks that lend to it. They said the move would halt salaries for tens of thousands of public employees, who have already gone three months without pay amid a deep fiscal crisis.
The speakers also alleged Israel had ordered the PA to vacate offices in parts of the West Bank and warned of a plan for “soft transfer” of Palestinians from the territory. The PA has no security facilities in “Area C,” which makes up about 60% of the West Bank and remains under full Israeli control under the Oslo accords.
Police spokesman Louay Erziqat said the suspects were detained in Ramallah for spreading “rumours and lies that caused confusion and fear among citizens.”
The PA’s financial crunch has worsened since Israel began withholding tax revenues it collects on the Palestinians’ behalf, while foreign aid has declined.
