Zain Khalil
26 February 2023•Update: 26 February 2023
AMMAN, Jordan
An emergency security meeting was held in the Jordanian city of Aqaba on Sunday to discuss de-escalating tensions between the Palestinians and Israel.
The Israeli delegation to the meeting was led by Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of the National Security Council and Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, while the Palestinian delegation was headed by Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, the coordinator of government operations in the Palestinian territories.
Sunday’s security meeting was called by the United States, Egypt and Jordan in an effort to ease escalating tensions between the Palestinians and Israel.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, the Palestinians will call for halting all unilateral Israeli measures, including military operations in the occupied West Bank.
At least 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank since the start of this year, according to Palestinian figures.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the meeting aims to calm down the situation in the Palestinian territories before the start of the fasting month of Ramadan, due to begin next month.
Tensions often escalate in the Palestinian territories during Ramadan as Israel restricts the movement of worshippers into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.
US-sponsored peace talks collapsed in 2014 over Israel’s refusal to halt settlement building and release Palestinians imprisoned before 1993.
* Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report
