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Israel and Palestinians Reach Agreement to De-Escalate Tensions Ahead of Holy Month

Israel and Palestine have agreed to take steps towards peace, with Israel announcing a temporary halt to new settlement approvals in the occupied West Bank for four to six months. The announcement was made after a meeting between Palestinian and Israeli delegations in Jordan, which aimed to reduce tensions before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on March 22.

The parties agreed to reconvene in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the following month and work towards a “just and lasting peace.” Egypt, Jordan, and the United States, whose delegates also attended the meeting, viewed the agreement as a positive step towards reactivating and strengthening ties between the two sides.

Both parties committed to forming a committee to consider resuming Israeli-Palestinian security coordination. However, the meeting occurred amid escalating hostility, with a Palestinian gunman killing two Israeli brothers in the northern West Bank as the negotiators met. Israel’s defence minister demanded a larger military presence in the West Bank as a result.

The meeting also followed an Israeli military raid in a nearby Palestinian city, which killed ten Palestinians, most of whom were militants. Since a spate of Palestinian attacks last spring, violence between Israelis and Palestinians has escalated, with Israel retaliating by intensifying West Bank raids. So far this year, over sixty Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, while thirteen Israelis were killed by Palestinian attacks.

With Ramadan coinciding with the weeklong Jewish festival of Passover in 2023, tensions are expected to remain high, particularly around the holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, which have frequently been flashpoints for violence. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan praised the commitments made by both parties, but also acknowledged that much work needs to be done in the coming weeks and months to build a stable and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians

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