NAZARETH, (PIC)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced in a late hour on Thursday night that the Israeli mini-cabinet has approved several steps to entrench settlements in the West Bank.
Smotrich claimed that these steps come in response to the recognition of the Palestinian state by a number of countries, and they include imposing sanctions on Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership and strengthening the settlements in the West Bank.
The extremist minister also claimed that the decisions come in the wake of the PA demands at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and its support for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and pressure for unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state.
The punitive measures include canceling permits and various privileges for PA officials, restricting their movement and preventing them from traveling and deporting them abroad, in addition to withdrawing the PA civil powers in Area (B) of the West Bank.
Alongside these measures, the occupation government approved the legalization of 5 settlements in the West Bank, in Nablus, Ramallah, and al-Khalil.
It also decided to publish tenders for the construction of thousands of settlement units in the West Bank and facilitate the demolition of Palestinian homes in Area (B).
