Israel has halted the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinians following their bid to join the International Criminal Court, Israeli officials say.
They said $127m (£82m; €106m) collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority last month would be held back.
The Palestinians submitted documents to join the ICC on Friday in a move opposed by both Israel and the US.
Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat condemned the Israeli measure, calling it a “new war crime”.
“Israel is once again responding to our legal steps with further illegal collective punishments,” Mr Erekat said.
Israel collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinians, and transfers about $100m (80m euros) per month, accounting for two-thirds of the authority’s budget.
It is not the first time Israel has frozen the monthly transfers. It imposed a similar sanction in April 2014 after PA President Mahmoud Abbas applied to join a series of international treaties and conventions.
Joining the ICC could see Palestinians pursue Israel on war-crime charges.
Full article at BBC.
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Now we’ll see whether or not the Israeli electric utility cuts power to the West Bank due to non-payment (which is due to this withholding these taxes collected by Israel). The West Bank Palestinian communities will resemble Gaza more & more while the nearby Israeli settlements thrive.
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