The Palestinian Authority (PA) refused paying any financial compensation to the families of Israelis killed during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, which began in 2000 and lasted several years.
“We do not pay the occupiers… the resistance of the Palestinian people against the occupation is a legitimate resistance according by international law,” said PA Prisoner Affairs Minister Issa Qaraqe.
Qaraqe was responding to a decision by an Israeli court imposing 62 million shekels ($ 3.50) in compensation for Israeli deaths in 2001. Three Israelis were killed in the shooting, which took place during the Second Intifada.
More so, the Palestinian official warned against Israel’s court policies, which recently began imposing severe financial compensations on Palestinian detainees.
"Implementing Israeli criminal law to residents in occupied territories goes against Geneva Conventions and to the principle of protecting civilian populations. This is a step towards annexing the West Bank to Israel and establishing a system of repression against the Palestinian people,” added Qaraqe.
He added that the Palestinian people "have the right to claim compensation for the human and material losses suffered by the oppression and brutality of the occupation, and by systematic Israeli and settler terrorism."
An Israeli court accused the PA and six Palestinian prisoners of killing three Israelis in August 2001 on Route 443 when they were returning home.
The Court ruled that the PA would pay 40 percent of the sum and that the prisoners would pay 60 percent.
The PA persistently rejected heeding the decisions of the Israeli courts on the matter.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces stormed most of the West Bank and confiscated gold on Monday, arresting some 21 Palestinians at dawn. Palestinians were surprised by the Israeli army’s incursion into the center of Ramallah and break and entry into jewelry shops.
It remains unclear as to why the soldiers confiscated gold from a retail shop, which operates under PA laws and regulations.
Israeli troops raided “Jawhar,” a jewelry shop owned by Izz al-Asbah, who said that his shop was looted.
He said that confiscated gold amounts to over 1.5 kg.
Israeli forces rarely break into gold shops, but have previously stormed exchange shops and large institutions under the pretext of pursuing funds belonging to anti-occupation factions.
