The head of a Palestinian Authority committee for confronting Zionists’ practices against the Palestinians announced on Monday evening that the PA officially decided to ban the entry of products by six major Israeli companies into the

The head of a Palestinian Authority committee for confronting Zionists’ practices against the Palestinians announced on Monday evening that the PA officially decided to ban the entry of products by six major Israeli companies into the Palestinian territory.

Mahmoud al-Aloul, who is also a member of the Central Committee of the PA's ruling party Fatah, announced the decision Monday in a news conference in el-Bireh.

Other members of the committee and PA and Fatah officials attended the news conference including member of the Central Committee Wasil Abu Yousuf, director of the PA's customs agents Ibrahim al-Jazara, secretary-general of Fatah in the Ramallah district Muwaffaq Suhweil, Fatah spokesman Ahmad Assaf and speaker of the union of Palestinian journalists, Abed al-Nasser al-Najjar.

The Israeli companies which will be banned in the Palestinian territory are Tnuva, which produces dairy products, Elite which produces chocolates, candies and other products, the Strauss food and beverage company, Osem, Prigat for beverages, and Jafora, according to Maan.

Al-Aloul pointed out that Palestinian retailers would be given two weeks to remove the companies' products from their shelves. Special inspectors will be touring markets to make sure all merchants are adhering to the decision.

The decision, he said, came in response to ongoing Israeli attempts to exert pressure on the Palestinian people "who are demanding their freedom and rights and have been punished collectively after they resorted to the UN."