Israeli personnel confiscated the VIP border pass of a top Palestinian Authority official over his involvement in an international criminal case against Israel, the PA said Sunday.
Israel’s Shin Bet (Shabak) internal security agency nixed the special VIP pass issued to the Palestinian Authority’s foreign affair’s chief, Riyad al-Maliki, Walla reported Sunday, over Maliki’s meeting with a top International Criminal Court official late last week.
Ahmed al-Deek, an official in Maliki’s office, told Reuters that Israeli authorities confiscated the VIP pass, and confirmed that the pass was revoked over Maliki’s visit to The Hague last Thursday.
In addition, Israeli security personnel are said to have detained Maliki’s aides for an hour and a half for questioning, Deek claimed.
“This is the Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine. He doesn’t represent himself. He represents the State of Palestine, and we regard this as an attack against the State of Palestine,” said Deek.
Maliki met with ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in her office Thursday to discuss the court’s criminal probe of Israel over the 2014 conflict with the Hamas terrorist organization, and allegations that Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria constitutes war crimes.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office both declined to comment on the reports.