Progress Made in Sharm el-Sheikh Talks, Says Senior Palestinian Official

Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee and the Palestinian Authority’s civil affairs minister, reported on Monday that the talks with Israel in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt were “difficult” but that progress had been made on some issues. Al-Sheikh added that “the Palestinian delegation was sticking to its firm position by refusing to enter into any security or economic track before reaching a political agreement through which Israel is committed to stopping all its unilateral measures.”

The five-way meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh included representatives from the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the United States. It was the second meeting of its kind, following the first one held in Aqaba on February 26. The parties recognized the necessity of de-escalation on the ground, the prevention of further violence, as well as of pursuing confidence-building measures, and addressing outstanding issues through direct dialogue, according to a communique released after the meeting.

Tension between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank has been escalating since January 1, leading to the killing of 89 Palestinians and 14 Israelis, according to official Palestinian and Israeli statistics.