The Palestinian Authority is currently preparing a legislature that will bar Palestinians from working in settlements in the West Bank to build homes or work in factories.

The law is to be signed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by the end of the month, in what has been described as one of the most determined campaigns targeting economy in the settlements.

Once passed, the legislature will affect up to 30,000 Palestinians, who will be forced to find other jobs, Palestinian officials said.

Palestinian Minister of Finance Hassan Abu Libdeh told reporters that until now the Palestinians contributed to the lifeline in the settlements. “ I am targeting this contribution,” he said.

The Palestinian government will try to find alternative jobs for the Palestinians but said they would not be forced to leave, although he admitted that if they continue to work after the law has been passed, they will be breaking the law.

With unemployment high in the West Bank, it is unclear what alternatives the P.A. will be able to offer to the thousands of workers who will find themselves without jobs.
 

The law will also ban the sales of goods made in the settlements in Palestinian stores he said. He estimated the annual sales of such goods are $200 to $500 million.
 

The Palestinian Authority announced earlier this year that it would deposit $150,000 every month into a new fund whose goal is to remove all products made in West Bank settlements from the Palestinian market.

Libdeh said the creation of the fund, will "cleanse the Palestinian market of products from the settlements and encourage local products."

(AP contributed to this report)