Israeli premier refuses to freeze building settlements in West Bank

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there would be no change in the plan to build illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu’s remarks came following a meeting held in Aqaba, Jordan, on Sunday, with the participation of officials from Palestine, Israel, Jordan, the US, and Egypt.

Netanyahu denied reports that Israel had decided to freeze the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank for four months.

“Construction and arrangement in Judea and Samaria (the Israeli name for the West Bank) will continue according to the original planning and schedule without any changes. There is not and will not be any freezing,” Netanyahu tweeted.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry had said after the meeting in Aqaba: “The Government of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority 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 4 months and to stop authorization of any outposts for 6 months,” it added.

The meeting was called by the US, Egypt, and Jordan to discuss de-escalating tensions between the Palestinian and Israeli delegates.

The Aqaba meeting was the first of its kind since the US-sponsored peace talks between the delegates collapsed in 2014 over Israel’s refusal to halt the settlement constructions and release Palestinians imprisoned before 1993.

The meeting came amid tensions across the occupied territories following relentless Israeli military raids into Palestinian towns.

At least 62 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank since the start of this year.