Israel and Palestinians agree to deepen ties to avert violence

Israel and Palestinians agree to deepen ties to avert violence
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows mobile homes in the Jewish settlement of Givat Haroeh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank

AMMAN (Reuters) – Israel and Palestinian officials pledged to work towards reviving efforts to reach a “just and lasting peace” deal at the end of talks in Aqaba, saying on Sunday they would work closely to prevent “further violence”.

Israel was committed to stop “discussing setting up any new settlement units for four months and stop approving any new settlements for six months”, the joint statement said.

The statement came at the end of a meeting also attended by U.S., Egyptian and Jordanian officials in the Jordanian city, as concerns mount over an escalation of violence in the run-up to the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that begins in late March.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alexander Smith)

tagreuters.com2023binary_LYNXMPEJ1P06B-BASEIMAGE

tagreuters.com2023binary_LYNXMPEJ1P06C-BASEIMAGE