Israel is to put one of the most prominent and popular Palestinian leaders on trial.
The civil court action in connection with attacks in Israel is one of the first prosecutions in years of a top Palestinian.
Mr Marwan Barghouti hasn't been charged since he was arrested in April during an Israeli incursion in a village near the West Bank town of Ramallah.
In a statement the Justice Ministry said Mr Barghouti was suspected of heading an organisation that carried out deadly attacks on hundreds of Israelis.
It said he had "personal involvement in different ways in specific attacks."
Justice Ministry spokesman Yaakov Galanti said Mr Barghouti would be formally charged in a few weeks.
He said Mr Barghouti would be tried with four other Palestinians in civil court because of their connection "to several attacks in Israel" as opposed to attacks carried out in the West Bank.
Mr Barghouti was a key leader of Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement in the West Bank, and in a recent public opinion survey he emerged as second in popularity only to Mr Arafat himself.
Mr Barghouti's lawyer, Mr Jawad Boulos, said his client didn't care what kind of trial he got.
"Israel will build charges around whatever its wants. We don't recognise them and we won't recognise this trial," he said.
PA