Senior Palestinian and Israeli security representatives met this Sunday (26.02.2023) in Jordan, where they committed to a “de-escalation on the ground”, after there has recently been an increase in violence in the West Bank, following an Israeli operation last week that claimed the lives of a dozen Palestinians.
After “deep and frank discussions,” participants at the meeting in the city of Aqaba “reaffirmed the need to commit to détente on the ground and avoid further acts of violence,” the joint statement said. The meeting, which lasted several hours, was attended by senior Jordanian, Egyptian, Israeli, Palestinian and American officials.
In addition, “the two sides, Palestinian and Israeli, affirmed their commitment to all previous agreements between them, as well as to achieving just and permanent peace.” The meeting was attended by senior leaders, including the head of the Palestinian intelligence services, Majed Faraj, the head of the Israeli domestic intelligence service (Shin Beth), Ronen Bar, and the coordinator of the US National Security Council for the Middle East, Brett McGurk.
Israeli minister ignores agreement
Likewise, the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority (PA) assured “their joint readiness and commitment” to “cease unilateral measures for three to six months.” Israel also pledged to “suspend the debate on the establishment of any new settlement unit for four months,” as well as “any ratification of the establishment of new settlements for six months.”
However, a senior Israeli political source told EFE that “Israel emphasized that there will be no changes regarding the decision to regularize nine irregular settlements and build 9,500 new homes in the West Bank.” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he did not agree with freezing new settlement construction.
“I don’t know what they talked about in Jordan, but I do know that settlement construction and development will not be frozen, even for a day,” he said.
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