Meeting in Jordan: Palestine and Israel Promise Less Violence, Discuss West Bank Settlements

Illustration of Palestine. (Wikimedia Commons/GoldY you good luck - MinoZig)

JAKARTA - Israeli and Palestinian officials vowed to reduce violence between the two sides after meeting on Sunday, issuing a joint statement in which Israel said it would halt discussions on settlements in the occupied West Bank for four months.

Attended by senior US, Jordanian and Egyptian officials in addition to Israeli and Palestinian delegations, the meeting in Aqaba, Jordan was the first in years, reported Reuters February 27.

The Israeli and Palestinian sides said in a joint statement they would work together to prevent "further violence" and "reaffirmed the need for de-escalation on the ground". Both sides also confirmed their commitment to the previous agreement.

Jordan, along with allies Egypt and the United States, said the agreement was "major progress towards rebuilding and deepening relations between the two sides".

Separately, the 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 amid growing fears of an increase in violence ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan which begins in late March.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority "confirm their readiness and joint commitment to work urgently to end unilateral actions for a period of 3-6 months", the statement said.

"This includes Israel's commitment to stop discussing new settlement units for four months and stop authorizing outposts for six months."

That could spell trouble in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, one of the far right in Israel's history.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also in charge of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, was quick to say he would not abide by such an agreement.

"I don't know what they are talking about or not in Jordan," Smotrich wrote on Twitter.

"But one thing I know: there will not be a freeze on construction and construction in settlements, not even for one day (that's under my authority)," he stressed.

Earlier, Israel on February 12 granted retroactive authorization to nine Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank and announced the mass construction of new homes within established settlements.

A senior Israeli official said there would be no change to an earlier decision regarding the authorization of the outpost and 9,500 housing units. PM Netanyahu appeared to downplay any commitments, saying Israel would continue with settlement construction along the previous plan, and saying there would be "no freeze".

The UN Security Council issued a formal statement on February 20 condemning Israel's plans to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, the first action the United States has allowed the agency to take against its ally Israel in six years.

The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital, territory Israel captured in the 1967 war.

But peace talks have been stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say the expansion of Jewish settlements has undermined chances of forming a viable state.