The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday said it will resume civil and security cooperation with Israel, which was suspended in May over a now-frozen Israeli plan to annex parts of the West Bank.
Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh wrote on Twitter that “the relationship with Israel will return to how it was” after President Mahmoud Abbas received confirmation that Israel remained committed to past agreements with the Palestinians.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab welcomed the decision in a statement on Thursday: “Restoring cooperation is an important and constructive step towards peace. This is welcome progress and shows both sides are willing to put the needs and security of Israelis and Palestinians first”.
He added: “We need to build on this momentum through further dialogue and compromise to move towards a lasting solution to the conflict”.
In a Zoom video conference organised by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the decision to resume contacts with Israel was based in part on confronting the health crisis.
He said: “Our life is so interconnected between us and the Israelis, and there is no way that we can fight viruses by ourselves only”.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday praised the PA’s decision, saying the move benefited both Israelis and Palestinians.
