SHAFAQNA- Jordan hosted a meeting between top Israeli and Palestinian officials on Sunday (26 Feb 2023) aiming to halt surging violence. Jordanian official says the talks in Red Sea port of Aqaba is part of an effort to halt ‘a security breakdown that could fuel more violence’.
The discussions are part of stepped-up Jordanian diplomacy with Washington and Egypt to put the brakes on one of the worst surges in violence in years, with concern building of further escalation as the holy Muslim month of Ramadan approaches.
A meeting come days after Israeli forces carried out a raid in West Bank
The planned talks come days after Israeli forces carried out a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus that killed 11 Palestinians. The death toll in Wednesday’s raid was the highest since the second Intifada of 2000-2005.
Last year was the deadliest period for Palestinians
The intensifying violence has killed 62 Palestinian adults and children since the start of this year. Ten Israelis and a Ukrainian tourist have died in the same period. The United Nations meanwhile said last year was the deadliest period for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2006, with Israeli forces killing 171 Palestinians, including 30 children, in that period.
US President Joe Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is attending, along with Jordanian and Egyptian officials.
A Jordanian government official, speaking to the AFP news agency, said Sunday’s “political-security meeting is part of stepped-up ongoing efforts by Jordan in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and other parties to end unilateral measures [by Israel] and a security breakdown that could fuel more violence”.
The talks aim to agree “security and economic measures to ease the hardships of the Palestinian people,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
Palestine factions condemn PA participation in security meeting with Israel
Palestinian factions have condemned the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) intention to participate in a security meeting with the Israeli occupation in Jordan.