Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to work to halt a recent spiral of violence, in a deal brokered by the US and neighbors Egypt and Jordan.
(Bloomberg) —
Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to work to halt a recent spiral of violence, in a deal brokered by the US and neighbors Egypt and Jordan.
But the difficulties of pulling back from the worst hostilities in years were immediately apparent: Even as the sides pledged to work toward calm, a shooting in the West Bank left two Israelis dead — and settlers then burnt homes in the Palestinian village near the shooting. One Palestinian died and almost two dozen were injured.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan welcomed the meeting which took place on Sunday in Aqaba, Jordan, the first of its kind in years, saying that the US recognized it was only a starting point “and that there is much work to do.”
The sides “reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground and to prevent further violence,” read a joint statement issued by the US State Department after the meeting. Amid vague wording, the two sides pledged to work together, and the statement included “an Israeli commitment to stop discussion of any new settlement units for 4 months and to stop authorization of any outposts for 6 months” in the West Bank.
“Implementation will be critical,” Sullivan said.
But there were early signs of the challenges.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads a new far-right government, said in a Telegram message that “the construction in the West Bank will continue according to its original schedule, without any change. There is no and will be no freeze.”
The militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, strongly condemned the participation of the Palestinian Authority in Aqaba summit. The group called on the Authority to halt security coordination with Israel.
The meeting reflected in part concerns that violence would reel out of control as the Islamic holiday of Ramadan nears, coinciding with the Jewish celebration of Passover in early April. Last week an Israeli raid on a West Bank Palestinian gunmen’s hideout left 11 Palestinians dead, one of the highest tolls in recent years.
Israel said soldiers were pursuing the gunmen responsible for Monday’s deaths near the city of Nablus and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved a troop reinforcement in the West Bank.
The sides will convene again in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt next month.
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