Amman may host three-way meeting to contain Palestine tension

AMMAN – Amman may "soon" host a three-way meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and officials from the Palestinian Authority and Israel, as the US top diplomat is travelling to the region in an attempt to ease the mounting tension between Palestinians and Israelis. 

An official source confirmed to The Jordan Times Thursday that there are ongoing discussions between all parties to arrange for the meeting in the capital. 

He stopped short of giving further details. 

In his daily press briefing, US State Department Spokesperson John Kirby told journalists that Kerry intends to travel to the region “soon” as he is “deeply concerned by the continued escalated violence”. 

Asked whether there is any discussion of Kerry convening a summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jordan, Kirby declined to give information on the agenda of Kerry during his trip to the Middle East. 

“I’m not going to get into specific agenda items when he travels, so I have nothing to report on this… I don’t have any travel announcements to get to today, so I just don’t have any details,” the spokesperson said.

Spiralling violence in the occupied Palestinian territories began on October 1 over Israeli provocative measures in Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque. Palestinian youths launched a wave of knife stabbings against Israelis, and Israeli occupation forces responded with excessive force that has claimed the lives of at least 30 Palestinians and wounded hundreds. 

Seven Israelis have been killed and others wounded in the attacks.