Gantz speaks with Mahmoud Abbas, thanks him for condemning Bnei Brak terror attack

Defense Minister Benny Gantz speaks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to Gantz’s office, the defense minister sent his best wishes for Ramadan to Abbas and the Palestinian public, and expressed his desire for the holidays — both Ramadan and Passover, to be a time of peace and tranquility, and not terror.

A string of deadly terrorist attacks in recent weeks has shaken Israelis, and officials fear tensions could rise further during both Ramadan and Passover.

Gantz thanks Abbas for condemning the recent terrorist attack in Bnei Brak which killed five people, and tells him of Israeli plans to ease certain restrictions on Palestinians during Ramadan “as much as the stability of the security situation will allow.”

In December, Gantz hosted Abbas at his home in Rosh Ha’ayin, the first time the Palestinian leader sat down with a senior Israeli official in more than a decade.