Bethlehem—Ma’an: Informed Palestinian sources, as described by the Hebrew-language Walla website on Thursday, said Israel refused to take political steps until calm returned and attacks stopped.
A Palestinian source confirmed that senior officials from both sides had held several recent security meetings. The Palestinian side raised issues previously discussed in the 2013–2014 negotiations: freezing settlement construction, prior Israeli agreement to resume talks on the basis of the June 4, 1967 borders, and releasing the fourth group of 36 pre-Oslo Palestinian prisoners.
The website said Israel rejected political measures before calm returned to the West Bank and Palestinian attacks ceased. If that happened, it would consider several political steps with the Palestinian Authority.
An Israeli source said political contacts had been suspended for some time. The last meetings were between Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli negotiator Silvan Shalom. They stopped because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw no real prospect of returning to negotiations, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also found no opportunity for progress in the peace process through those meetings.