(MENAFN) Israel and Palestine have pledged to curb violence and incitement in a security meeting held in Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh on Sunday. Delegates from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan, and the United States attended the meeting, where they reaffirmed their commitment to advancing security, stability, and peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike. They recognized the need for de-escalation on the ground, prevention of further violence, and confidence-building measures to enhance mutual trust and create a political horizon while addressing outstanding issues through direct dialogue.
The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority reiterated their commitment to immediately work to end unilateral measures for a period of 3-6 months. This includes an Israeli commitment to stop discussing any new settlement units for four months and to stop authorizing any outposts for six months. The two sides also agreed to develop a mechanism to curb and counter violence, incitement, and inflammatory statements and actions, which will report to the quintet leadership in April in a resumed session of the meeting in Sharm El Sheikh.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to all previous agreements between them and to address all outstanding issues through direct dialogue. They also agreed to establish a mechanism to improve the economic conditions of the Palestinian people and significantly enhance the fiscal situation of the Palestinian Authority. Additionally, they emphasized the necessity of both Israelis and Palestinians to actively prevent any actions that would disrupt the sanctity of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem, both in word and in practice, during the upcoming Holy Month of Ramadan, which coincides with Easter and Passover this year.
The security meeting was held as tensions were rising high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns. Nearly 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of this year, according to Palestinian figures. Fourteen Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period. The joint statement issued following the meeting emphasized the need for de-escalation on the ground and the prevention of further violence, highlighting the importance of pursuing confidence-building measures and enhancing mutual trust to create a political horizon and address outstanding issues through direct dialogue.
Overall, the security meeting between Israel and Palestine is a positive step towards curbing violence and incitement in the region. The commitment to de-escalation on the ground and the establishment of mechanisms to counter violence and improve economic conditions for the Palestinian people are important measures towards achieving stability and peace in the region. However, continued efforts are needed to address outstanding issues and build mutual trust between the two sides to create a sustainable political solution.
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