Palestinian Min.: Efforts Exerted to Include Israeli Settlers on Terrorism List

The Palestinian Minister of Justice  Muhammad al-Shalaldeh announced on Saturday that efforts are exerted to include Jewish groups on the international terrorism list, on the background of their attacks against Palestinian citizens and their properties in the West Bank.

Shalaldeh told "Voice of Palestine" radio, "The settler attacks in the occupied Palestinian territories are a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and international law."

He affirmed that Israeli settlers will be held accountable and prosecuted "whether before Palestinian courts or regional and international courts" and their inclusion on the list of international terrorism.

He expressed his hope that the International Criminal Court in the Hague would begin a comprehensive investigation into the settler attacks and the settlement file in all its details, given that the new American administration takes over and adopts a new policy regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Palestinian minister also announced that preparations are underway to file more lawsuits before Palestinian courts against settler groups "with the aim of establishing national sovereignty," with the possibility of transferring them to the criminal court for settlers of dual nationality.

On the other hand, a senior Palestinian official told the Italian news agency ACI that a phone call would soon take place between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and American President Joe Biden.

The official, who preferred not to be named, told the Italian "ACI" agency, "The call will take place in the coming days, and it will serve as a launching pad for the return of Palestinian-American political relations that were suspended during the era of former US President Donald Trump."

"The call will be followed by several steps towards the return of Palestinian-American relations to what they were before Donald Trump's arrival at the White House," he added.

In this regard, the Palestinian Authority welcomed the speech of the US Chargé d'Affairs to the United Nations at the Security Council a few days ago.