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UN chief worried by PLO security coordination threat

March 7, 2015 at 12:56 pm

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern on Friday at a decision by the PLO to halt security coordination with Israel, Reuters has reported. Mr Ban called for the international community to push for a Middle East peace deal.

The PLO Central Council agreed on Thursday to cancel coordination with Israel’s occupation authorities because of Israeli breaches of bilateral agreements. These include the withholding of tax revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. Israel has frozen $127 million so far in protest against the PA’s decision to apply for membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and pursue war crime charges against Israel.

An end to the agreement on security coordination, which dates from the mid-nineties Oslo peace accords, could have an immediate impact on stability in occupied West Bank cities such as Hebron, Nablus and Jenin. Anti-occupation clashes between protesters and Israeli soldiers are common.

“The Secretary-General urges both parties to exercise utmost restraint and reverse their unhelpful cycle of actions and counter-actions,” said UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “He repeats his call for Israel to resume the transfer of tax revenues legally due to the Palestinian Authority.”