The talks in Egypt underscored the need to prevent any disruptive action at holy sites in Jerusalem during Ramadan.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders agree at a meeting in Egypt take steps to ease tensions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday underscored the need to prevent any disruptive action at Jerusalem’s holy sites when Ramadan begins later this week.
In a joint statement following talks attended by US, Egyptian and Jordanian officials, the parties also reconfirmed commitments made at a meeting in Aqaba last month, including Israel’s commitment to halt talks on any new colonization unit for four months.
Israel’s involvement was largely symbolic. Israel recently approved the construction of thousands of new homes in the settlements, and there were no immediate plans to approve additional construction.
Yet even talk of a slowdown in settlement activity could cause a backlash in Israel’s right-wing coalition government, which is dominated by settler leaders and supporters.
A similar meeting in Jordan on February 26 ended with promises to defuse tensions. It was quickly derailed by several new bursts of violence.
Palestinian gunman shot dead two israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and ransacked Jewish settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwarakilling a Palestinian and destroying property in what was described as a pogrom.
An Israeli raid in Nablus also killed 11 Palestiniansmaking expectations for the second installment low.
As Sunday’s talks continued, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a vehicle in Huwara, seriously injuring an Israeli, the doctors said. The man’s wife was treated for shock.
The Israeli army said the injured man and Israeli troops opened fire and hit the attacker. The man was later arrested, the army said. His condition was not immediately known.
Huwara is on a busy road in the northern part of the West Bank that is used by Israeli settlers, many of whom are armed.
Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
The Israeli-occupied West Bank has seen an upsurge in clashes in recent months, with Israeli military raids almost daily and escalation of Israeli settler violence.
Anti-violence mechanism
“Both parties have agreed to establish a mechanism to curb and counter violence, incitement and inflammatory states and actions,” the joint statement read. The parties will report on progress at a follow-up meeting in Egypt next month, he added.
He did not give further details on the mechanism.
The parties to the talks also “stressed the need for Israelis and Palestinians to actively prevent any action that would disturb the sanctity” of holy sites in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the statement said.
Large numbers of Jews are also expected to visit a key holy site in Jerusalem, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. an act that the Palestinians see as a provocation.
Under longstanding arrangements, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not pray there. But in recent years, the number of visitors has increased, with some praying quietly. Such scenes have made Palestinians fear that Israel is trying change the status quo.
Clashes at the site in 2021 helped spark an 11-day Israeli war on Gaza.