AMMAN — Israel
has committed to a temporary freeze on discussions regarding new West Bank
settlements and the legalization of outposts, following a multilateral summit
with Palestinian officials in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
اضافة اعلان
The
announcement comes as the parties attempt to negotiate calm in the region ahead
of Ramadan.
In previous
years Ramadan has seen violence from Israeli forces, particularly around
Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, Islam's third holiest site, known as the
Temple Mount by Jews.
Ramadan
coincides this year with Judaism's Passover and Christian Easter.
Talks for settlements
suspended for four monthsAccording to a
communique released by Jordan's Foreign Ministry, Israel has agreed to suspend
talks aimed at establishing new West Bank settlements for four months, as well
as halting the authorization of outposts for a period of six months.
The move was
made following talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials, as well as
representatives from Egypt, Jordan, and the US.
The communique
also highlighted the "legal right" of the Palestinian Authority to
carry out security responsibilities over Area A of the West Bank.
The parties
also agreed to reconvene for further discussions in Egypt in April, in a bid to
further promote peace and stability in the region.
US commitment
to ‘hold off new settlement moves’In the joint
statement, Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, and US officials
reiterated their commitment to holding off on new settlement moves, which had
previously been denied by Israel.
Almost a month
ago, a summit was held in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba that focused on
de-escalation in the region.
During the
Aqaba meeting, the need for "commitment to de-escalation on the
ground" was affirmed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as stated by
Jordan's Foreign Ministry.
Additionally,
Israel made a commitment to "halt discussions regarding any new settlement
units for four months and to cease authorization of any outposts for six
months," as per the US State Department.
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