RAMALLAH, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian minister said on Friday that the Palestinian Authority did not ask for mediation to resolve its tax dues crisis with Israel.
"There is no mediation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel regarding the tax dues and we did not ask for anyone's intervention," said Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh in a short press statement.
Al-Sheikh's statement came in response to a Saudi Arabian newspaper's report that quoted a Palestinian source as saying the Palestinians had asked the Qataris to mediate in the crisis.
On May 19, the Palestinian leadership refused to take the tax dues that Israel collects on its behalf in protest against the Israeli plan of annexing parts of the West Bank.
In response to the plan, the Palestinian Authority had also severed security and civilian coordination with Israel in the Palestinian territories.
Refusing the tax dues from Israel has caused the Palestinian Authority a severe financial crisis that has affected its ability to fulfill its financial obligations to the Palestinian citizens. Enditem
