Abbas, Gantz meet before Biden’s visit
Gantz said on Twitter that Thursday’s meeting in Ramallah “was conducted in positive terms” and that the two discussed “civil and security challenges” in the region.
“We have decided to maintain close security coordination and to avoid actions that could cause instability,” said Gantz.
Abbas “stressed the importance of creating a political horizon, respecting the signed agreements and stopping the actions and measures that lead to the deterioration of the situation,” said Hussein Al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official in a tweet.
Abbas also stressed the importance of having “a quiet atmosphere before President Biden’s visit, which we welcome.”
It was the third known meeting between Abbas and Gantz since August last year and the first since Yair Lapid assumed the post of provisional prime minister of Israel last week before the November 1 election.
Seething tensions between Israel and the Palestinians escalated following the May 11 killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli army raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Palestinians say Abu Akleh was deliberately shot by an Israeli soldier. Israel denies this. The US State Department said on Monday that Abu Akleh was likely shot dead from Israeli positions, but it was probably not intentional.
The Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-government in parts of the West Bank. US-mediated talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory failed in 2014 and show no signs of recovery.
