RAMALLAH, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information Nabil Abu Rudeinah on Thursday said Palestinians reject propositions to alternate payment of Palestinian Authority (PA) financial allocations to families of prisoners or those killed by Israel.
Abu Rudeinah said "there have been attempts to find alternative channels to pay the prisoners and martyrs allocations, which we will not accept because it would set a precedent that would be drawn on other issues."
Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported Wednesday that the European Union (EU) proposed to settle the deduction of PA tax return payments by allowing the PA to pay the allocations based on their socioeconomic status instead of the accusations Israel convicted them with.
Abu Rudeinah pointed out that "Israel must abide by all agreements and pay the money in full," adding that the Palestinian people "live and defend its rights and principles."
Qadura Faris, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, a quasi governmental body providing legal aid for prisoners, said "the parties that are making proposals must uphold their obligations instead and pressure Israel to stop its ongoing piracy acts of Palestinian money and pressures on the Palestinian people."
Palestinians declared earlier this week that the PA returned the tax transfers owed due to the deduction for the third time, since the end of February.
In February, the PA announced that it refused to receive the tax revenue dues from the Israeli side after Israel cut the money the PA pays to the families of Palestinians killed in the conflict with Israel and those imprisoned in Israeli jails.
According to the agreements signed between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel collects taxes from the trade that the Palestinians bring from abroad through Israeli seaports, and pays the taxes back to the PA every month.
