Israel stated the prime minister’s nationwide safety adviser in addition to the chief of the Shin Wager home safety company had been to attend the talks in neighboring Jordan. The top of the Palestinian intelligence companies in addition to advisers to President Mahmoud Abbas had been anticipated to hitch.

The presence of prime officers on the assembly, in addition to delegations from Egypt, Jordan and the USA, underscored the severity of the disaster. It was additionally a uncommon high-level assembly between the perimeters, coming throughout a time of rising tensions and after the Palestinians lower safety coordination with Israel over the violence.

Abbas’ workplace stated the Palestinians would “stress the necessity to cease all Israeli unilateral actions.” An Israeli official stated the assembly was meant to ease tensions forward of Ramadan and got here after an American request.

The assembly’s Palestinian attendees had been confirmed by a Palestinian official. A Jordanian official additionally stated the assembly was meant to cease “Israeli unilateral actions,” construct confidence and result in extra complete contacts between the perimeters. He stated the assembly will happen within the Crimson Sea resort city of Aqaba, Jordan.

All three officers spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to debate the assembly with the media.

Palestinians who oppose any official engagement with Israel stated they’d protest the assembly, whereas the Islamic militant Hamas group, which guidelines the Gaza Strip criticized the assembly.

It’s not clear what the talks would possibly obtain. Israel has pledged to proceed combating militants within the West Financial institution the place the Palestinian Authority typically has little management. Israel is also led by a far-right authorities with members that oppose concessions to the Palestinians and favor settlement development on occupied lands sought by the Palestinians for a future state. Final week, Israeli officers permitted the constructing of over 7,000 new settlement houses within the occupied West Financial institution, based on activist teams that attended the planning assembly.

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has surged since Israel stepped up raids throughout the West Financial institution following a spate of Palestinian assaults final spring. The bloodshed has spiked this 12 months, with greater than 60 Palestinians killed within the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, based on a tally by The Related Press. Palestinian assaults in opposition to Israelis have killed 11 individuals in 2023.

Israel says the raids are supposed to dismantle militant networks and thwart future assaults. The Palestinians say Israel is additional entrenching its 55-year open-ended occupation of lands they need for a future state, in addition to undermine their very own safety forces.

Ramadan this 12 months coincides with the weeklong Jewish vacation of Passover and worshippers from each faiths are anticipated to flock to the holy websites in Jerusalem’s Outdated Metropolis, which are sometimes a flashpoint for violence between the perimeters. Clashes erupted at a key Jerusalem holy web site final 12 months and tensions on the web site helped spark an 11-day warfare with Hamas militants within the Gaza Strip in 2021.