RAMALLAH, May 7, 2018 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Authority intends to file a legal case against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday for its crimes against the Palestinian prisoners, according to Issa Qaraqe, head of the Prisoners Commission.

He told Voice of Palestine radio on Monday in reaction to an attack by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman against Palestinian prisoners that going to the ICC is part of efforts that should be adopted by the Palestinian Authority that would include securing the legal status of the prisoners and responding diplomatically and through the media to the offensive campaigns targeting the struggle of the prisoners.

Qaraqe said Lieberman‘s statements and threats to deduct allowances provided by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to the families of prisoners from the tax revenues Israel collects on behalf of the PA will hurt the situation of the prisoners and increase racist measures against them.

Meanwhile Palestinian-Israeli lawmaker Aida Touma expected a draft law on deducting allowances for detainees and families of Palestinians killed by Israel from Palestinian tax revenues to have a majority of votes in Monday’s Israeli parliament session.

Touma told the official Voice of Palestine radio on Monday that the draft law came after a campaign carried out by senior Israeli officials to agitate the situation in order to accuse Palestinian Authority of financing “terrorism” and “to steal” the Palestinian money.

The draft law stipulates that Israeli minister of finance deducts the amount of the money paid by Palestinian Authority to the families of detainees and people killed by Israel from its tax revenues.

C.K./M.K.