US confirms closure of Palestinian mission in Washington

Palestinian officials called the move a "dangerous escalation" of tensions in the region, accusing the Trump administration of being one-sided in its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"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," PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said in a statement.

US State Department Spokeswoman Heath Nauert accused the PLO of refusing to support negotiations.

Punished over ICC move

The move to not grant the Palestinian mission its normal six-month renewal came after Ramallah leaders allegedly breached the arrangement by calling for Israeli officials to be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Nauert cited that bid as one reason for shuttering the PLO mission. But she stressed the need for the Palestinians to join US-backed peace negotiations.

"The United States continues to believe that direct negotiations between the two parties are the only way forward. This action should not be exploited by those who seek to act as spoilers to distract from the imperative of reaching a peace agreement," she said.

The Palestinian leadership cut off contact with Washington after President Donald Trump recognised the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December, breaking with decades of US policy on the issue.

Trump has also withheld aid from the Palestinians and on Friday the US confirmed it was to end all funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the organisation which provides assistance to some 5 million Palestinian refugees across the region.

In recent weeks, the United States has cut more than $200 million in bilateral aid to the Palestinians as well as cancelled its support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees

The decision on the PLO mission comes just ahead of the 25th anniversary of the first Oslo accord on 13 September, which was famously sealed with a handshake on the White House lawn and raised hopes of a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Husam Zomlot, head of the PLO mission in Washington, told journalists in Ramallah that the closure was "to protect Israel from war crimes, crimes against humanity that Israel is committing in the occupied Palestinian territories".

Both Erekat and Zomlot pledged to push forward with Palestinian efforts at the ICC, where the chief prosecutor has already opened a preliminary probe into the allegations.

'Bullying'

In recent weeks, the US has cut more than $200 million in bilateral aid to the Palestinians as well as cancelled its support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

In making such moves, Trump has sided with Israel on core issues in the conflict without publicly asking for any concessions in return.

Palestinian leaders see his White House as blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

"Part of it is bullying," Zomlot said in response to a question about the US strategy.

"But the main part of it is just going ahead and implementing the grocery list that was submitted to them by (Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin) Netanyahu."

The Palestinians have asked the ICC to investigate Israel on issues ranging from settlement building in the occupied West Bank to civilian casualties in the 2014 Gaza war, among others.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki visited the ICC in May and called on it to open an immediate investigation against Israel.

Despite having opened a preliminary probe in 2015, the tribunal has yet to move to the next stage and open a full-blown investigation which could lead to charges being brought.