'Israel' contradicts Aqaba summit report: Settlement process continues

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli Media
26 Feb 2023 22:42
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The head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi contradicted reports from the Aqaba summit and confirms that the settlement-building process will continue.

Israeli settlement east of occupied Al-Quds, February 23, 2023 (AP).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed, Sunday evening, in response to a Jordanian statement regarding the results of the Aqaba summit, that "the construction of settlement outposts in the West Bank will continue without any change."

Netanyahu said, on Twitter, that “contrary to what was published, construction and legislation in the West Bank settlements will continue according to the basic plans and times, and there is no freeze and there will not be a settlement freeze.”

In turn, the head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, also confirmed that "contrary to reports about the Aqaba summit, which was held in Jordan with the participation of delegations from Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and the United States, there is no change in Israeli policy during the coming months."

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Hanegbi added, "Nine settlement outposts will be legalized, and 9,500 new units will be built in the West Bank."

And as reported by Israeli media, Hanegbi also stated, in accordance with Netanyahu, that "there will be no construction freeze or change in the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque," and there are no restrictions on the occupation army's activities in the West Bank.

Contradicting the Jordanian statement

The words of the senior security official of the Israeli occupation contradict what the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement following the summit earlier today.

According to the announcement of the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the occupation government and the Palestinian Authority, "confirmed their joint readiness, and their commitment to immediate action, to stop unilateral measures for 3-6 months."

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said, "The meeting included an Israeli commitment to stop discussing the establishment of any new settlement units for 4 months, and to stop approving any new settlement outposts for a period of 6 months."

Moreover, the statement added that the occupation government and the Palestinian Authority affirmed: "reducing escalation and preventing further violence, in addition to agreeing to meet again in this format in Sharm el-Sheikh in the Arab Republic of Egypt next March."

The Jordanian statement concluded that "the Palestinian and Israeli sides affirmed their commitment to all previous agreements between them, and work to achieve a just and lasting peace, and reaffirmed the need to commit to reducing escalation on the ground and preventing further violence."