Israeli army radio revealed on Monday that Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah held direct talks Sunday night with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon.
The meeting came amid an American push to improve economic ties between the Palestinians and Israel as part of a larger plan to ultimately strike a peace deal. It was part of a series of meetings between Palestinians and Israelis despite the Palestinian decision to halt security coordination.
The meeting was also attended by PA Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh the head of the PA’s General Intelligence Service Majid Faraj and PA Finance Minister Shukri Bishara according to a statement by Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs.
The two sides discussed a number of important issues foremost of which is lifting the Gaza siege financial issues related to the financial entitlements of the Palestinian Authority and the settlements issue especially the decisions to construct thousands of settlement units in addition to electricity and water crises.
Demands have been made to cancel these decisions and stop incursions by Jewish extremists into the al-Aqsa Mosque and all the holy sites since these incursions create a climate of tension and push the region into a religious conflict.
Water and electricity issues were also discussed including a new trade agreement regulating these two sectors in terms of increasing capacity and quantities and agreement on new prices for these services.
