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Updated December 29th, 2021 at 17:57 IST

Israel: Defence Minister holds rare meeting with PA leader Mahmoud Abbas at his residence

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz held discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a rare meeting that comes as Israel floated plan to ease rules

Reported by: Riya Baibhawi
Israel
(Image: AP) | Image:self
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Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz held discussions with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a rare meeting that comes as Israel floated plans to ease border restrictions on Gaza Strip. According to DW, which cited a senior Palestinian official, the meeting took place in Gantz’s house in Central Israel late on Tuesday. The issues which topped the list included ‘security and civilian’ matters. Notably, Tuesday’s meeting marked the first time in a decade when Abbas met with a Jewish leader in Israel. 

Gantz holds rare meeting with PA leader Mahmoud Abbas

Israel and Palestine have been engulfed in decades of conflict and contestation over territory, particularly Jerusalem, which both of them claim as their capital. Earlier in August, Gantz had made a rare trip to West Bank to wherein he had reckoned that Palestinian Authority needed to be strong to defeat terror group Hamas. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Jewish Defence Ministry said that both sides deliberated upon "the two men discussed security and civil matters.”

Separately, Hussein al-Sheikh, the Palestinian civil affairs minister and a key aide to Abbas, said that during the meeting both the parties "dealt with the importance of creating a political horizon" that leads to a solution by international resolutions. He further said that both sides discussed tensions created by an increasing number of Jewish settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel has bolstered its settlements in the past few years with its current number now crossing 200. Earlier this month, the Naftali Bennett Administration gave a green light to the construction of 473 new settlement units southeast of Jerusalem.

This comes as Israeli Media floated reports of the country's administration mulling to ease a series of restrictions currently placed on the Gaza Strip. The aim behind lifting the embargo is to alleviate the 140sq km region from its economic woes and also pressurize Hamas to maintain the peace that the region has seen since this year’s 11-day war. The list of rules that could be eased encompasses the issuance of more work permits for Palestinians, expanding the list of dual-use items allowed inside Gaza inter alia. Notably, the embargos have severely affected both the industrial and agricultural sectors and undermined essential services including those related to health, hygiene, and electricity service.

(Image: AP)

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Published December 29th, 2021 at 17:57 IST

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