Israel offered to release frozen Palestinian Authority taxes if they go toward humanitarian causes. Israel collects some $55 million in monthly customs levies on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, but froze payouts after Hamas won January elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But with the “Quartet” of foreign peace mediators working on a mechanism to funnel funds to poor Palestinians that circumvents Hamas, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that some of the tax money could be freed up.
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