Israeli and Palestinian officials pledged to de-escalate surging violence after meeting on Sunday, issuing a joint statement in which Israel said it would halt discussions about new settlement units in the occupied West Bank for four months.
In a joint statement, both sides 'reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground'Israeli soldiers take up positions at the Hawara checkpoint, near the West Bank city of Nablus, on Sunday. Israeli officials say a Palestinian gunman shot and killed two Israeli brothers in a car.Attended by senior U.S., Jordanian and Egyptian officials in addition to the Israeli and Palestinian delegations, the meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, was the first of its kind in years.
But underlining the challenges, Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, called the meeting "worthless," and condemned the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority for taking part.The meeting was held as anxiety mounts about an escalation in violence in the run-up to the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that begins in late March.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also has responsibilities over Jewish settlements in the West Bank, quickly said he would not abide by any such agreement. But peace talks have been stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say Jewish settlement expansion has undermined the chances of a viable state being established.
A senior Israeli official said there would be no change to the previous decision regarding authorization of those outposts and 9,500 housing units. Netanyahu seemed to downplay any commitment, saying Israel would continue settlement building along previous plans, and saying there "will not be any freeze."
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