First Israeli-Palestinian meeting in years comes ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
An Israeli delegation will participate on Sunday in a “political-security” meeting with counterparts from the Palestinian Authority in order to try restoring calm after an uptick in deadly violence, Jerusalem confirmed. The meeting, hosted in the Jordan city of Aqaba, will also be attended by American and Egyptian representatives.
It would be the first such official meeting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority with participating regional countries in years.
The talks will come after 11 Palestinians, mostly armed terrorists, were killed and many wounded in a gun battle on Wednesday when Israeli troops raided a terrorist hideout in the West Bank city of Nablus. The military operation followed an upsurge in Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
It also comes ahead of Ramadan, the Muslim faith’s holiest month, that routinely coincides with bouts of Palestinian violence in east Jerusalem.
The delegation will include Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet security agency, among other officials.
Intensifying unrest this year has sparked international concern and follows violence in 2022 which was the deadliest in the West Bank in years.
