LONDON: The Palestinian Authority on Friday condemned the approval of a set of punitive measures by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people and its leadership, following its decision to go to the International Court of Justice.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said these measures are a reflection of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâs âracist colonial platform against our people, a flagrant violation of Israelâs obligations as an occupying power, and a persistence in Israelâs rebellion against international law and signed agreements.â
Israelâs new Security Cabinet approved the series of steps, including withholding $39 million from the Palestinian Authority and transferring the funds instead to a compensation program for the families of Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks.
Netanyahuâs office said on Friday that the moves were in retaliation for the Palestinians pushing the UNâs highest judicial body to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation, and it comes a week after the UN General Assembly voted to approve a resolution requesting that the ICJ intervene and render an opinion on the state of the conflict.
âThe Foreign Ministry stressed that these and other measures will not discourage our people and our leadership from continuing the struggle and the political, diplomatic and legal action to provide international protection for our people and to put an end to Israelâs continued impunity from accountability, on the way to forcing it to end its occupation of the land of the State of Palestine,â the statement said.
The ministry called on the US administration to âseriously interveneâ to stop the implementation of the Netanyahu governmentâs platforms that are âhostileâ to the Palestinian people and to peace.
The Israeli Security Cabinet also reportedly ordered offsetting of the welfare payments made by the Palestinian government to the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the families of those killed by Israeli occupation forces in 2022.
