PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: wiki commons.

Reuters – An influential U.S. Republican lawmaker, Representative Kay Granger, said o n F riday she was releasing $147 million in U.S. development aid for the Palestinians that she had blocked since last August.

But it was unclear whether the money could be spent, because another senior Republican, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has also had a “hold” on the funds for months. A spokesman for Ros-Lehtinen could not be reached for comment.

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