PLO Secretary Saeb Erekat said yesterday that diplomatic relations between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel will officially come to an end at the start of 2016, Palsawa.com has reported.

Speaking to local Palestinian radio station Al-Quds, Erekat said that the PLO is to cut all of its relations with the Zionist state, including security cooperation, at the beginning of next year.

He noted that this is a response to the latest decisions of the Israeli government regarding the building of further illegal settlements and the Judaisation of Jerusalem. “There is no hesitation in this regard,” he said.

Erekat said that the decision to cut relations was taken last March, but implementation was delayed until after “discussions with the Arabs and regional powers regarding the needed measures to do this as Palestinian issue concerns all of them.”

He also reiterated that the Palestinian cause is present on the agendas of all Arab and EU countries, despite how busy they are with regards to their internal affairs.

Regarding the file at the ICC against Israel, Erekat said that the committee in charge has been doing its best to lodge official complaints regarding Israeli crimes against the Palestinians.

“We have reached an advanced stage in this regard,” he said, “we are seeking to file complaints against Israeli crimes in Gaza during last year’s war, field executions in the West Bank, the continuation of settlement and other issues.”

He noted that the committee is preparing for the Judicial Council of the ICC to visit the Palestinian territories in order to closely monitor the situation of the Palestinians.

(MEMO)