‘Pay for slay’, Palestinian Authority constitutional reforms and risks for EU financial assistance

4.3.2026

Question for written answer  E-000887/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Hildegard Bentele (PPE)

Recent reporting, as well as offical Israeli sources, indicates that, despite announcements that the Palestinian Authority has ended the so-called Martyrs’ Fund, prisoner stipends commonly referred to as ‘pay for slay’ may continue through alternative welfare structures. At the same time, media reports on a draft Palestinian constitution presented to President Mahmoud Abbas suggest that future governance arrangements could institutionalise provisions relating to prisoners and ‘martyrs’, raising concerns about the long-term entrenchment of such payments.

In this context, the Commission is asked:

• 1.What assessment has it made of whether ‘pay for slay’ type payments or successor schemes remain operational within the Palestinian Authority, including through renamed social-welfare channels?
• 2.Given the risk of budgetary fungibility, what concrete safeguards, audits and monitoring mechanisms does the Commission apply to ensure that EU financial assistance cannot be used, directly or indirectly, to finance such payments?
• 3.In the light of reported constitutional reforms, does the Commission intend to introduce clear conditionality, suspension clauses or repayment mechanisms for EU budgetary support if ‘pay for slay’ provisions were maintained or embedded in a future Palestinian constitutional framework?

Submitted: 4.3.2026