US to close Palestinian mission in Washington: PLO

Ramallah - The move comes after several financial measures the Trump administration has taken toward the Palestinians.

The US has notified the Palestinians it's closing their mission in Washington, a senior official said Monday, the latest in a series of American blows to the Palestinians.
The Trump administration notified the Palestinians last year it will shutter their office in Washington unless they enter serious peace talks with Israel.
"We have been officially informed that the US administration will close our embassy in Washington as a punishment for continuing to work with the International Criminal Court against Israeli war crimes," Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said.
"This is yet another affirmation of the Trump Administration's policy to collectively punish the Palestinian people, including by cutting financial support for humanitarian services including health and education," he said.
The move comes after several financial measures the Trump administration has taken toward the Palestinians.
The US has announced it is ending its decades of funding for the UN agency that helps Palestinians, slashing bilateral US aid for projects in the West Bank and Gaza and cutting funding to hospitals in Jerusalem that serve Palestinians.
A provision in a US law says the PLO mission must close if the Palestinians try to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians.
 

• MENA