26 July 2019; DW: Palestinian leaders have decided to "stop implementing agreements" with Israelis, President Mahmoud Abbas has said. The move comes after Israeli forces bulldozed dozens of Palestinian homes.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed the recent Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes as "ethnic cleansing" and said he would cut cooperation with Israeli authorities.
"We announce the leadership's decision to stop implementing the agreements signed with the Israeli side," he said after meeting other Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday.
Israelis and Palestinians cooperate on a range of issues, from water supply to security considerations. Abbas did not specify which deals might be discontinued. In his statement, he also said Palestinians will immediately form a committee to implement the decision.
The 84-year-old leader has made such threats in the past and failed to act on them, although it is rare for Abbas to speak with such clarity on the issue.
'Reason of security'
Earlier this week, Israeli forces razed dozens of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, on a territory administrated by the Palestinian Authority. Israel said the structures were too close to the separation barrier and that demolishing them was necessary for "reasons of security."
The move was slammed by the EU and the UN as contrary to international law.
The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are also at loggerheads over the issue of tax revenue, with the Israelis deducting around $10 million (€9 million) from tax revenues they collect on behalf of the Palestinians. The Israeli officials justified it by saying it corresponds to the amount paid by the Palestinian authorities to Palestinian prisoners or their families in Israeli jails.
Israel sees the aid as encouraging attackers, while the other side says it is aimed to help the families through financial difficulties. In response, the Palestinians refused to take any of the remaining $180 million per month until everything is paid out, putting Abbas' administration in a financial crisis.
Jerusalem 'not for sale'
On Friday, Abbas said that Palestinians "will not succumb to the dictates and the imposing of a fait accompli on the ground with brute force, specifically in Jerusalem," according to WAFA news agency.
He also rejected President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" between Israel and the Palestinians, emphasizing that "Palestine and Jerusalem are not for sale or bargain."
However, he added: "Our hands have been and are still extended to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace."
