Egypt hosts Israeli-Palestinian talks in favor of pre-Ramadan calm
The five-party meeting follows a February 26 US-brokered summit in Jordan, the first of its kind in years, which secured Israeli and Palestinian pledges to defuse, but was contested by factions on both sides .
Egypt hosts Israeli and Palestinian officials in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday as part of a US-Jordanian-backed effort to quell an outbreak of violence in the West Bank ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan .
The five-party meeting follows a February 26 US-brokered summit in Jordan, the first of its kind in years, which secured Israeli and Palestinian pledges to defuse but was contested by factions on both sides and failed to end the violence on the floor.
The meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh “aims to support dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to work to end unilateral actions and escalation, and to break the existing cycle of violence and restore calm,” said a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
This could “facilitate the creation of a climate conducive to the resumption of the peace process”, he added.
The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital – territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war.
But peace talks have stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say Jewish settlement expansion has undermined chances for a viable state.
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins at the end of March.
In previous years, clashes have erupted between Israeli police and Palestinians around Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque at the height of Ramadan, which this year coincides with Passover and Christian Easter.
(Edited by : Sangam Sing)
First post: March 19, 2023 5:10 p.m. STI
cnbctv18-forexlive-benzinga
