Jordan is set to host a summit on Sunday between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and the United States aimed at restoring “calm” in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, according to the AFP news agency.
The “political-security” meeting will be held in Jordan’s Red Sea resort town of Aqaba, near Eilat.
“The 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,” a Jordanian government official told the news outlet.
The talks are aimed at reaching “security and economic measures to ease the hardships of the Palestinian people,” the official added.
The Palestinian Authority is expected to be represented by Civil Affairs Minister and PLO Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh, PA intelligence chief Majd Faraj and Majd Khaldi, chief diplomatic adviser to PA leader Mahmoud Abbas.
The United States will reportedly be represented by National Security Council Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk and Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf.
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar are slated to represent Israel at the meeting, which follows an Israeli counter terrorism arrest operation this past Wednesday in Shechem that killed 10 terrorists and wounded 100 others.
IDF Circled Staff Sergeant Ido Baruch’s Killers in Shechem, 10 Arabs Dead, 100 Wounded
IDF Circled Staff Sergeant Ido Baruch’s Killers in Shechem, 10 Arabs Dead, 100 Wounded
The operation was aimed at arresting the killers of IDF Staff Sergeant soldier Ido Baruch last October who were also planning additional terrorist attacks to be carried out in future days. Israeli forces targeted a house that served as a shelter for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Lion’s Den terrorist organizations. Two IDF soldiers were wounded in the effort.
On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the counter terrorism activities conducted by the IDF in Shechem.
Gallant and Austin discussed ways to ensure stability in the region during the upcoming holiday period, which includes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which last year ignited the current deadly wave of terrorist attacks, as well as the Jewish holidays of Purim and Pesach. During their conversation, Gallant stressed the importance of maintaining a decisive position against terrorism in Judea and Samaria, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a communique.
