State Department Calls on PA to Publish Pay-to-Slay Audit

The US State Department called on the Palestinian Authority to publicly release results of an audit Ramallah announced Friday, saying the reform assessment must be subjected to public scrutiny. A State Department spokesperson said the Alvarez and Marsal audit apparently only examined the new welfare program, and payments rewarding Palestinian prisoners could still continue through other PA institutions. The spokesperson noted that President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza plan requires the PA to end all payments to terrorists and their families and end incitement and refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist in its educational curriculum before Gaza control can be transferred to Ramallah. Washington's stance reinforces Israel's long-standing warning that PA welfare reshuffles have masked continued terror rewards.