Hamas's allies have strongly criticized the Palestinian Authority after its new welfare agency announced a shift in policy regarding payments to prisoners in Israeli jails. The agency stated that stipends would now be based on economic need rather than time served, sparking outrage among groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees. These factions accused the Palestinian Authority of betraying the Palestinian struggle and aligning with Israeli interests, calling the move a 'national and moral crime.'

The controversy follows a press release from the Palestinian National Economic Empowerment Institution, which denied accusations from Israeli officials that the Palestinian Authority had failed to end laws incentivizing attacks. The welfare agency claims to be complying with a decree from President Mahmoud Abbas to reform the payment system. The decision has also drawn criticism from within the Palestinian Authority itself, including members of the Fatah faction and the prisoner affairs office.

As President Abbas seeks to prove the Palestinian Authority's readiness to govern Gaza under a proposed ceasefire plan, the implementation of these reforms has led to public protests in the West Bank, with Palestinians demanding the restoration of the stipends.