Meeting Abbas, Jordanian king accuses Israel of causing ‘escalation’ in West Bank

Jordanian King Abdullah meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and accuses Israel of carrying out an “escalation” of violence in the West Bank, to Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency.

Abdullah also calls on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its actions in the West Bank, the Petra report adds.

“His majesty stressed the necessity that the international community bear its responsibilities regarding the Israeli escalation and exert all forms of pressure on Israel to halt these measures that will only lead to more violence,” it says.

Hussein al-Sheikh, a top PA official, yesterday told Palestine TV, the official PA television channel, that Jordan and Egypt had exerted pressure on Israel to stop “the dangerous escalation” in the West Bank.

His Majesty King Abdullah II meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, affirms need to end stalemate in peace process, and stresses #Jordan's rejection of Israel's unilateral policies pic.twitter.com/Fqz96ovsUz

— RHC (@RHCJO) December 18, 2018

A string of terror attacks took place in the West Bank and Jerusalem last week, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers and a baby boy who was delivered prematurely after his pregnant mother was shot, as well as leaving several others injured.

In the wake of the attacks and amid manhunts for suspects, Israeli security forces killed the alleged gunman from October’s Barkan terror attack and partially demolished his home, and killed the man believed to have been behind the shooting which led to the baby’s death. They have also raided Ramallah several times and demolished the home of a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli soldier in May.

Meanwhile, settlers lobbed rocks at Palestinians driving along Route 60, the West Bank’s main thoroughfare, and in some cases, targeted homes in Palestinian villages.

— Adam Rasgon