Chaired by Abdul Karim al-Zubeidi, the Executive Committee of the Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) discussed with his Excellency Dr. Sami Hijjawi, Minister of Local Government, and Raed Muqbil, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), major challenges to local government units (LGUs) under the critical national conditions experienced by the Palestinian people. These include the ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, escalating raids and aggression against cities, refugee camps and villages across the West Bank and Jerusalem, and large-scale destruction of infrastructure, demolition of buildings, and land seizure and levelling in various communities.

Held at the MoLG offices in Ramallah, the meeting was attended by the APLA Executive Committee members, Executive Director, Abdallah Anati, and technical teams from both sides. Discussants deliberated the requirements of the next phase and possible mechanisms to strengthen LGU resilience and continued basic service delivery to citizens. These need to be maintained under grave consequences of unprecedented, widespread destruction of infrastructure, campaigns of demolition notices, land levelling and confiscation throughout Palestine. This adversity poses grave challenges to LGUs, which continue to play a vital role in providing basic services and ensuring sustainability in spite limited financial resources.

In the meeting, Hijjawi stressed that the “government is mobilising intensive efforts to ensure financial stability and collect resources under enormous pressure on limited budgets and resources.” According to Hijjawi, the Council of Ministers approved the settlement of debts owed by 46 LGUs to the Public Treasury. In addition to supporting affected LGUs, the government also settled several financial issues in the local government sector, including electricity and water supplies.

Az-Zubeidi stressed that, despite the mounting challenges, LGUs continued to play their national and humanitarian role in the service of Palestinians. He called for strengthening the partnership with the MoLG to ensure continued municipal functions, take expedited action to settle outstanding financial liabilities, increase the number of municipalities that collect property tax, and review centralized processes that hinder decentralization and entrench bureaucracy in the working relationship with LGUs.

APLA called for the need to expedite the implementation of understandings with the government in October 2024. First and foremost, LGU financial stability and powers need to be bolstered. This is a key entry point to enabling LGUs to carry out their developmental and national role in light of the extraordinary challenges to the Palestinian cause.

During the meeting, APLA Executive Committee members stressed the need to activate coordination with other relevant ministries and scale up efforts to provide urgent financial support to LGUs. In addition to allocating development projects, harsh challenges on the ground, particularly in cities and refugee camps that have been destroyed and raided over the past months, should be taken into account.

APLA commended LGUs’ pivotal role in supporting citizens and internally displaced people in the Gaza Strip as well as in Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps. To serve the homeland and citizens, APLA reiterated its full commitment to continue to protect and develop municipalities.