The talks in Egypt stressed the need to prevent any acts of vandalism in the holy places in Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan.
Both Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed At a meeting in Egypt To take steps to ease tensions ahead of the holy month of Ramadan Ramadan.
Talks in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday stressed the need to prevent any acts of vandalism at Jerusalem’s holy sites when Ramadan begins later this week.
In a joint statement following the talks, which were attended by US, Egyptian and Jordanian officials, the two sides also reaffirmed commitments made at a meeting in Aqaba last month, including an Israeli pledge to stop discussing any new settlement units for four months.
The Israeli pledge was largely symbolic. Israel recently approved the construction of thousands of new settlement homes, and there were no immediate plans to approve additional construction.
However, even talking about a slowdown in settlement activity could risk a backlash in Israel’s right-wing coalition government, which is dominated by settler leaders and supporters.
A similar meeting in Jordan on February 26 ended with pledges to calm tensions. He is soon derailed by several new outbursts of violence.
A Palestinian gunman was shot dead Israeli settlers In the occupied West Bank and attacks by Jewish settlers in the town of Palestine HawaraA Palestinian was killed and property destroyed What was described as a massacre.
As an Israeli raid on Nablus 11 Palestinians were killedmaking expectations for the second installment low.
As Sunday’s talks continued, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a car in Huwwara, An Israeli man was seriously woundedparamedics said. The man’s wife was treated for shock.
The Israeli military said the wounded man and Israeli forces opened fire, hitting the attacker. The army said the man was later arrested. His condition was not immediately known.
Huwwara lies on a busy road in the northern part of the West Bank used by Israeli settlers, many of whom are armed.
Over the past year, Israeli forces have carried out thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have been killed in Palestinian attacks.
The Israeli-occupied West Bank has seen an upsurge in confrontations in recent months, with almost daily Israeli military raids and Escalation of Israeli settler violence.
mechanism to reduce violence
“The two sides agreed to establish a mechanism to curb and confront acts of violence, incitement and incitement against states and actions,” the joint statement said. She added that the two sides would report progress at a follow-up meeting in Egypt next month.
No other details were given about the mechanism.
The parties participating in the talks also stressed “the need for both Israelis and Palestinians to prevent any actions that would prejudice the sanctity” of the holy sites in Jerusalem during the holy month of Ramadan, according to the statement.
A large number of Jews are also expected to visit a major holy site in Jerusalem, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. An act that the Palestinians consider a provocation.
Under longstanding arrangements, Jews are allowed to visit but not pray at the site. In recent years, however, the number of visitors has increased, with some praying quietly. These scenes raised the fears of the Palestinians that Israel is trying to change the status quo.
Clashes at the site in 2021 helped spark an 11-day Israeli war on Gaza.