A Jerusalem court has ordered the Palestinian Authority to compensate an Israeli family after finding it indirectly responsible for an attack that killed three of its members.

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The decision from September 22 states that the PA had transferred weapons and money used by the terrorists who carried out an attack on a highway which killed the three Israelis in 2001.

Yaniv and Sharon Ben-Shalom were returning home from Jerusalem, where they spent Shabbat with Sharon's parents to their home in Ofarim with their two daughters - Efrat, 20 months old, and Shahar, 8 months old - and with Sharon's brother.

Yaniv Ben Shalom

Palestinians opened fire from a passing vehicle, killing Sharon and Yaniv. Sharon's brother Doron Sviri was fatally wounded by a shot to the head, and died the following day.

The PA knew of the potential dangers of using the arms and did not warn the users, so it therefore "owes damages to those who were hurt", read the ruling, distributed on Sunday.

The district court added that popular Fatah leader Marwan Barghuti, serving multiple life sentences for his role in attacks on Israelis, "knew about the attack and was briefed on it after it was carried out".

Sharon Ben Shalom

A spokeswoman for the court said the trial, which began in 2009, was still ongoing and the judge had yet to decide on the amount of damages the PA would be ordered to pay.

Other courts in Israel have in the past ruled that the PA pay damages to Israelis, but according to Haaretz newspaper the PA tends to reach out-of-court settlements with plaintiffs.

There was no immediate reaction on Monday from the Palestinian Authority to the latest ruling.