Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

Israeli Cabinet Approves Sanctions on Palestinians
--------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1106A61:3919ACA Steps in response
to Hamas control of Palestinian parliament



" hspace=2
src="/english/images/AP_israel_olmert_cabinet_19feb06_eng_195.jpg"
width=195 vspace=2 border=0>

Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, convenes the weekly
cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Feb. 19, 2006

Israel has imposed sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, which
Israel's acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says is turning into a
terrorist body now that the militant group Hamas has dominated
elections and assumed control.

Olmert says Israel will have no contact with the Palestinian
government and urged the international community to isolate the
Hamas-led government. Israel's Cabinet also decided to stop $50
million per month of customs payments to the Palestinians.

But the Cabinet rejected some more drastic proposals, including a ban
on the travel of Palestinians through Israeli territory.

Hamas' designated prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, says Israel's
sanctions are designed to break the will of the Palestinian people
following his group's overwhelming election victory.

Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and has claimed
responsibility in the past for dozens of suicide bombing attacks
against Israeli targets.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials say two members of the militant
Popular Resistance Committees have been killed in an Israeli airstrike
on the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli army officials say the two men were trying to plant a bomb
close to a security fence that separates Gaza from Israel.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


.