Palestinians and Israelis begin a security summit in Jordan with the US and Egypt to reduce tensions

26 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Palestinian Authority has confirmed its participation this Sunday in a security summit with Israeli and US representatives in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, with the aim of reducing tension in the Middle East after months of escalation due to Israeli operations in the West Bank and Palestinian attacks. in and around Jerusalem.

The meeting, advanced at the end of this week by Jordanian media, has finally been confirmed by the Palestinian government. During the meeting, those responsible for the Palestinian Authority “will insist to Israel on the need to cease any unilateral action” that further escalates the situation and “adheres to international agreements”, according to the statement collected by the official Palestinian news agency. Wafa.

A meeting of this type is very unusual because of the gathered participants, as senior specialists in security and defense issues, and because they include three countries of great mediating importance in the conflict, such as the United States, Egypt and Jordan.

A Jordanian source on condition of anonymity explained to the Al Jazeera chain that the objective of the meeting is to convince the Palestinians and Israelis to cease any unilateral measure that could aggravate “a very sensitive moment, in the midst of great political challenges and security”.

By unilateral measures is understood the construction of new Israeli settlements in occupied territory and the corresponding Palestinian initiative before the United Nations to denounce their existence.

According to Palestinian sources to the same outlet, the Palestinian delegation includes the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Hussein Al Sheikh, the director of Intelligence, Majed Faraj, the spokesman for the Presidency, Nabil Abu Rudeina, and Majdi al Khalidi, Diplomatic Adviser to the Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

For its part, the Israeli delegation will be represented by the National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of the Israeli Internal Security service (the Shin Bet), Ronen Bar; the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Division General. Ghasan Alyan; and the director general of the Foreign Ministry, Ronen Levy, according to the sources of the ‘Jerusalem Post’.

The Palestinian Authority’s participation in the Aqaba meeting has infuriated Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, led by the Islamist movement Hamas, as they understand that it was decided without “national consensus.”

In a statement, the factions describe the PA’s involvement as a “stab at the Palestinians and their sacrifices, as well as a betrayal of the blood of the martyrs.”

“This meeting is only going to bring shame to the Palestinians and the Arabs who participate in it,” say the Palestinian factions in Gaza before warning that any act of complicity with “American and Israeli dictates would provide an excuse for the continuation of Israeli crimes.” “

For all these reasons, these factions, Al Jazeera sources add, have announced that they will hold an emergency meeting this Sunday in the Palestinian enclave.