Related: New Palestinian parliament sworn in

    JERUSALEM, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday that the Palestinian National Authority(PNA) will be turned into a "terrorist" authority after Hamas forms a government.

    Olmert made the remarks at a weekly cabinet meeting which will decide whether to impose a set of tough sanctions against a new Palestinian government to be formed by Hamas, which does notrecognize Israel and was involved in suicide attacks against Israel.

    "It is clear that given the Hamas majority in the Palestinian parliament and the fact that the role of forming a government has been given to Hamas, the Palestinian (National) Authority is effectively becoming a terrorist authority," Olmert told his fellow ministers.

    Olmert's harsh statement against Hamas came one day after a Hamas-dominated Palestinian legislature was sworn in both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, after its sweeping victory in the Jan. 25 Palestinian legislative elections.

    The cabinet is expected to vote for a package of sanctions against the new PNA, including halt of monthly transfer of customs duties Israel collects on behalf of the PNA and a ban of Palestinians working in the Jewish state or travelling between the West Bank and Gaza.  Enditem