Israeli, Palestinian Officials Resume Cooperation With Ramallah Meeting

Senior Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Ramallah on Thursday, following the Palestinian Authority’s announcement that it would resume military and civil coordination with Israel. Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun, Israel’s coordinator of government activities in the territories, and Hussein al-Sheikh, Palestinian civil affairs minister, attended the meeting, Israel’s Kan pubic broadcaster reported. The two sides discussed the outline for restoring relations, Kan reported, citing an unnamed Palestinian source. The PA suspended coordination with Israel in May after Israel announced plans to annex parts of the West Bank, territory it had captured during the 1967 war. The restoration of ties was enabled by a letter from Israel declaring a commitment to past agreements it had signed with the PA, Al-Sheikh announced on Tuesday. The PA on Wednesday told Western diplomats that it would change the way it pays salaries to the families of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons as a sign of respect for US President-elect Joe Biden, Kan reported. Instead of basing such payments on the length or severity of the prison sentence, the salary would be based on the family’s economic situation.