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PA officials: Security cooperation with Israel is ongoing

May 21, 2020 at 9:18 am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) during the funeral of former Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on 30 September, 2016 [Amos Ben Gershom/Reuters]

Palestinian Authority (PA) officials have reiterated to Israel Hayom newspaper that security cooperation with Israel is ongoing, Safa news agency reported yesterday.

According to the news site, the PA officials told the Israeli newspaper that President Mahmoud Abbas’ remarks to severe security cooperation, as a result of Israel’s planned annexation of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley, “are for media consumption”.

The PA officials said that Abbas just renewed a 20-year-old order to reduce the level of the security cooperation with Israel, stating that the order is only to stop carrying out joint PA-Israeli patrols during Israeli raids of Palestinian areas.

“Abbas’ declaration was prepared only to put pressure on the new Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz, who will be a prime minister in one and half years’ time,” the officials told Israel Hayom according to Safa.

Abbas does not have any intention to dissolve the PA and return full control of the occupied West Bank to Israel… The remarks do not refer to a practical measure.

Israel Hayom reported the officials saying that Abbas’ would not withdraw from the Oslo Accords and stressed that dissolving the PA needs approval from Palestinian parliament.

Earlier this week, Abbas declared all security agreements with Israel and the US void in response to the imminent threat of further Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. Steps which are supported by US President Donald Trump.

READ: Palestine president ends ‘all agreements’ with Israel, US