Palestine Liberation Organisation calls for end to security co-ordination with Israel

The move will likely heighten tensions in the region

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in the West Bank city of Ramallah (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

The leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) has called for an end to security co-ordination with Israel, in a move which will put further strain on existing tensions.

A statement issued by the PLO’s central committee on Thursday night called for the suspension of “all forms of security coordination given Israel’s systematic and ongoing non-compliance with its obligations under signed agreements, including its daily military raids throughout the State of Palestine, attacks against our civilians and properties,” the Guardian reported.

It also called for a boycott of “Israeli products and not only those coming from Israeli settlements”, arguing that the state must “pay the price for its refusal to assume its responsibilities under international law, including the systematic denial of the Palestinian right to self-determination.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas must now decide whether to implement the resolution by the PLO’s Central Council, which would end coordination between Abbas' forces and Israeli troops in the West Bank.

The decision, which came after two days of talks by the Central Council, comes amid the Israeli election campaign.

Relations between Israel and Palestine continue to simmer, after Abbas sought membership in the International Criminal Court, which would allow the government to launch war crimes charges against Israel.

Israel responded by withholding tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority, which was counters by Abbas' Fatah activists boycotting of goods made by Israeli food companies.

Nevertheless, earlier on Thursday, Israel said Thursday it would ease restrictions on Gaza vegetable exports for the first time since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized power in 2007.

Additional reporting by AP