Jordan: Israeli and Palestinian officials have pledged to de-escalate surging violence and issued a joint statement in which Israel stated it would halt discussions about new settlement units in the occupied West Bank for four months.

The meeting agreed to support confidence-building steps and “work towards a just and lasting peace.”

In addition to the Israeli and Palestinian delegations, senior US, Jordanian, and Egyptian officials attended the meeting held in Aqaba, Jordan.

The Israeli and Palestinian sides noted in their statement that they would work closely to prevent “further violence” and “reaffirmed the necessity of committing to de-escalation on the ground.” Both countries affirmed their commitment to previous agreements.

Jordan, along with its allies Egypt and the United States, remarked that the understandings were “major progress towards re-establishing and deepening relations between the two sides.”

Referring to the possible challenges, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, called the meeting “worthless” and condemned the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority for taking part.

The meeting was held as concerns mounted over an escalation in violence in the run-up to the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, which begins in late March.

According to the statement, both countries “confirmed their joint readiness and commitment to immediately work to end unilateral measures for a period of 3-6 months.”

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

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