UPDATE WITH COMMENT FROM ISRAELI MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY
By Laith Al-Junaidi and Busra Nur Cakmak
ANKARA/ AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Palestinian and Israeli delegates agreed during a security meeting in Jordan on Sunday to halt any unilateral measures for a couple of months, according to Jordan’s foreign ministry.
The meeting in the city of Aqaba was called by the US, Egypt and Jordan to discuss de-escalating tensions between the Palestinians and Israel.
“The Government of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority confirmed their joint readiness and commitment to immediately work to end unilateral measures for a period of 3-6 months,” said the closing statement of the meeting cited by a Jordanian Foreign Ministry statement.
“This includes an Israeli commitment to stop discussion of any new settlement units for 4 months and to stop authorization of any outposts for 6 months,” it added.
According to the statement, the two sides also affirmed “their commitment to all previous agreements between them, and to work towards a just and lasting peace.”
“They reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground and to prevent further violence,” it said.
Participants in the Aqaba meeting agreed to convene again in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh in March.
“Jordan, Egypt and the United States consider these understandings as major progress towards re-establishing and deepening relations between the two sides, and commit to assisting and facilitating as appropriate their implementation,” the statement said.
However, Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a tweet: “What happened in Jordan (if it happened) stays in Jordan.”
The Aqaba meeting was the first of its kind since US-sponsored peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel collapsed in 2014 over Israel’s refusal to halt settlement building and release Palestinians imprisoned before 1993.
The meeting came amid tensions across the occupied territories following Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns.
At least 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank since the start of this year, according to Palestinian figures.
* Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report