"At the direction of the President, we will redirect more than $200 million … originally planned for programs in the West Bank and Gaza," a senior foreign ministry official told reporters.

He added that this action was taken after "reviewing US assistance to the Palestinian Authority and in the West Bank and Gaza to ensure these funds are spent in accordance with US national interests and provide value to the US taxpayer."

The official claimed that the decision takes into account the challenges the international community faces in providing assistance in Gaza, where Hamas control endangers the lives of Gaza’s citizens and degrades an already dire humanitarian and economic situation.

In January, the United States sharply reduced its financial contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) budget.

This comes within the pressure exerted by Washington on the Palestinian People to accept the “deal of the century”.

Relations between the United States and the Palestinian Authority have been frozen since Trump announced on 6 December 2017 the United States officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the so-called "Israel", in a move rejected by the international community and overwhelming Palestinian anger.