RAMALLAH, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Authority (PA) government on Tuesday slammed the Israeli moves to cut off the financial aid allocated for prisoners in Israeli jails.
The government said in a statement following its weekly cabinet meeting in the West bank city of Ramallah that "the PA's tax money ... belongs to the Palestinian treasury and the Palestinian people."
The statement described the Israeli moves as an "act of piracy and a breach of the agreements" signed between the PA and Israel.
It blamed the Israeli government of coordinating with the U.S. administration "to pressure Palestinians and force the Palestinian leadership to accept the century deal."
The government urged the U.S. administration to "stop its incitement and pressure policy, as it continues to pay billions of U.S. dollars to Israel and cover it's crimes against the Palestinian people."
Israeli public radio said on Monday that the Israeli government is going to approve the deduction of financial allocations paid by the PA to families of the prisoners in Israeli jails.
Last July, the Israeli Knesset (parliament) passed a new bill, allowing Israeli authorities to deduct millions of dollars from the Palestinian tax revenues it collects on behalf of the PA.
According to the bill, a special committee will put away the money into a fund and can only approve to pay it back if the PA stops its financial aid to the prisoners' families.
Palestinian officials described the law as "theft" and accused Israel of using it for political pressure and collective punishment.
