Ahead of Ramadan – which often sees spike in terror attacks – the Palestinian Authority will demand that Israel halt military activity in PA-controlled cities, with the US enforcing the agreement.
By Adina Katz, World Israel News
Representatives for the Palestinian Authority are expected to demand that the IDF cease counterterror arrest raids in Nablus, Jenin, and other PA-controlled cities, at a summit being held today (Sunday) in Aqaba, Jordan.
The emergency security meeting was organized by Jordan after clashes between the IDF and locals in Nablus left 12 Palestinians dead (most of them members of the Lion’s Den terror group) and 102 wounded.
“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 AFP.
The Jordanian-hosted meeting will also include representatives from Israel, including National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, as well as security and diplomatic officials from the United States and Egypt.
Saudi Arabian outlet Asharq News reported that the PA will demand that Israel cease all settlement expansion and military activity in the territories, and hopes to broker an agreement with local terror groups to halt their attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
During the meeting, the PA will ask for all IDF operations in PA-controlled areas to take place after coordination with the entity – despite dramatically ending security cooperation with Israel last month, after an Israeli military raid in Jenin killed 10 people, most of them terrorists.
Since the beginning of 2023, Palestinian terror attacks have killed 11 Israelis. The Muslim month-long holiday of Ramadan is slated to begin at the end of March, and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have expressed concern that there will be an uptick in terror during that time period.
“Israel accepted the American offer to participate in the meeting, during which the security representatives from the participating countries will discuss ways to calm security tensions in the region ahead of the month of Ramadan,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said in a media statement.