Palestinian Authority condemns settlement plans

The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday condemned Israel's decision to build new housing units in the illegal Shilo settlement, which is built on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. Ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting, chaired by Salam Fayyad, also condemned Israel’s "continued illegal measures" to withhold Palestinian tax revenues over its membership of UNESCO. "The Israeli government does not at all have the right to take such measures, which are a collective punishment against the Palestinian people leading to the collapse of its National Authority," a statement said. The cabinet "also condemns statements by Israeli officials threatening to cut off water and electricity from the Gaza Strip and carry out punishment measures against the National Authority in the West Bank."