The Palestinian National Authority and Israel reiterated their commitment to advancing security, stability, and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.
According to a communique issued following a meeting between officials from the two sides, Egypt, Jordan, and the US in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, the parties recognised the importance of de-escalation on the ground, preventing further violence, pursuing confidence-building measures, and addressing outstanding issues through direct dialogue.
According to Xinhua, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority also reaffirmed their combined preparedness and commitment to cooperate immediately to halt unilateral actions for 3-6 months.
According to the statement, this includes an Israeli pledge to halt discussion of any new settlement units for four months and to halt authorization of any outposts for six months.
The two sides also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to all previous agreements, particularly the Palestinian National Authority’s legal right to carry out security responsibilities in Area (A) of the West Bank in accordance with existing agreements, and stated that they will work together to achieve this goal.
They also decided to create a system to prevent and respond to violence, incitement, and inflammatory remarks and actions.
The parties also reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the historic status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, both in words and in practise, and reaffirmed Jordan’s Hashemite Custodianship.
They emphasised the need of both Israelis and Palestinians taking proactive steps to prevent any actions that would jeopardise the sanctity of these sites during the approaching Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with Easter and Passover.
The parties reiterated the significance of continuing the sessions in this format, emphasising that they will meet again in Egypt.
The five-party summit is a continuation of discussions held on February 26 in Jordan to pave the way for the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
From the beginning of the year, tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been growing. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 89 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers this year, while official Israeli data state 14 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks.
