Monitoring Desk
AMMAN: Israeli and Palestinian authorities pledged on Sunday after rare talks in Jordan to prevent more unrest, which has surged this year.
After “frank and thorough discussions” that included officials from the United States and Egypt, the Israeli and Palestinian sides “reaffirmed the need to de-escalate on the ground and to avoid further violence,” a joint statement after the meeting said.
In Jordan, state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka reported the meeting was “the first of its kind between Israelis and Palestinians with regional and international participation” and would address “the tense situation in the Palestinian territories.”
In a statement, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that “two Israeli civilians were shot dead in a Palestinian terror attack” after a shooting incident in Huwara, the northern West Bank.
An Israeli government official, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to publicly speak about the negotiations, said their delegation to Jordan included Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.
The Israeli official added that the delegates would “discuss ways to calm regional tensions ahead of the holy month of Ramadaan,” which begins in less than a month.
Jordan talks to help ease tensions in Middle East
US National Security Council coordinator for North Africa and the Middle East Brett McGurk and Egyptian and Jordanian security officials were also there.
The Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government “confirmed their joint readiness and commitment to take immediate steps to stop unilateral measures for three to six months,” stated the joint statement after the talks.
This includes an Israeli commitment “to stop establishment new settlement units for four months” and not to legalize any unofficial wildcat outposts for six months, the statement said.
King Abdullah II met McGurk and emphasized “the importance of intensifying efforts for peace, de-escalation in the Palestinian territories, and blocking any unilateral measures that would destabilize stability and undermine the chances of achieving lasting peace,” a royal court said in a statement.
Sunday’s meeting came amid global concerns over intensifying unrest between the Palestinians and Israel.
Netanyahu’s government is regarded as the most right-wing in the history of Israel. He has handed key West Bank powers to far-right ministers.
