The Israeli entity’s cabinet has decided to impose “punitive measures” against the Palestinian Authority, in response to its approach to the International Court of Justice, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry has said that these measures “will not discourage it from political movement and legal to end the occupation”.
The “East” agency quoted the entity’s prime minister in a statement that the measures include the deduction of part of the Palestinian Authority’s funds and the transfer of about 139 million shekels from the authority’s funds to the benefit of those he described as “families of Israeli victims who lost their lives in the bombings”.
The statement said the procedures include freezing construction plans for the Palestinian Authority and stripping away important symbols driving what it called the “political and legal war” against Israel, adding that the current government will respond as necessary to this “war” on part of the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli measures, considering them “a reflection of the Netanyahu government’s racist colonial agenda against our people, a flagrant violation of Israel’s obligations as an occupying power and a persistence in rebellion against international law and agreements signed.”
He added: “These and other measures will not discourage our people and our leadership from continuing the political, diplomatic and legal struggle and movement, to provide international protection to our people and to end Israel’s continued impunity from accountability, responsibility and punishment, forcing him to end his occupation of the land of the State of Palestine”, calling on the US administration to “intervene”. Serious and real, to stop the implementation of the Netanyahu government’s programs that are hostile to our people and to peace.”
On December 31, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the International Court to consider the question of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands, a day after Benjamin Netanyahu assumed the presidency of a government that is the most right-wing of the institution’s history.
The resolution received 87 votes in favor, 26 against and 53 abstentions, amid divisions in Western countries on the issue, while Arab countries voted unanimously in favor.
Among the most notable countries that voted against the resolution: Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany and Italy, according to the Times of Israel.
The 193-member United Nations has asked the Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the “Israeli occupation, settlement and annexation … including measures to change the demographic composition and status of the city of Jerusalem and Israel’s adoption of discriminatory laws and measures to perpetuate this policy”.
The UN resolution also sought advice on how these policies and practices affect the legal status of the occupation and what legal consequences this situation entails for all countries and the United Nations.
The adopted draft resolution also expresses the General Assembly’s “serious concern” at the continuing systematic violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people by the occupying power Israel, including violations resulting from the excessive use of force and military operations have resulted in deaths and injuries to Palestinian civilians according to the United Nations website.
The resolution also calls on the Israeli enemy to end the settlement activity, but the General Assembly has no binding authority, unlike the UN Security Council, where the United States has veto power, according to “Agence France Presse “.
