Israel affirmed brief halting of settlement announcements at Sharm summit

Israel reaffirmed its brief suspension of new West Bank settlement announcements at the quintet meeting of the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the United States in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Sunday. 

“The Government of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority reaffirmed their joint readiness and commitment to immediate work to end unilateral measure for a period of three to six months,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a communiqué summarizing the conclusions of the meeting.

“This includes an Israeli commitment to stop discussion of any new settlement units for four months and to stop authorization of any outposts for six months,” the communique said.

Israel had already pledged to take this step at the quintet meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, in February and reaffirmed it on Sunday.

Violence expected to rise during Ramadan

The five governments gathered first on February 26 in Aqaba and then in Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday to discuss ways to prevent an upsurge of violence in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem during Ramadan, which begins this week.

Both quintet meetings were marred by terrorist attacks in the West Bank town of Huwara. On February 26, a Hamas terrorist fatally shot two Israeli brothers as they drove on Route 60 in Huwara. On Sunday, as officials from all five governments held talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, a terrorist shot and wounded an Israeli-American couple near the same location.

The quintet agreed to “establish a mechanism to curb and counter-violence, incitement and inflammatory statements and actions,” it said. There would also be a mechanism to help improve the Palestinian Authority’s economic situation, it added.

The communiqué reaffirmed “the legal right of the Palestinian National Authority to carry out the security responsibilities in Area (A) of the West Bank in accordance with agreements.”

It reaffirmed “the legal right of the Palestinian National Authority to carry out the security responsibilities in Area (A) of the West Bank in accordance with editing agreements.”

The quintet reiterated its commitment to maintaining the status quo at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, and recognized the Hashemite custodial role of that site.

“They emphasized the necessity of both Israelis and Palestinians to actively prevent any actions that would disrupt the sanctity of [Jerusalem’s holy sites], inter alia, during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, which coincides with Easter and Passover this year,” the communiqué said.

Those present at the gathering said the format was a basis for “direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.”