Netanyahu denies West Bank settlement freeze announced at Aqaba Summit

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

While US officials claimed the summit in Jordan was 'a positive step for Israelis and Palestinians,' Israel's far-right officials made it clear that 'what happened in Jordan will stay in Jordan'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 26 February denied that his government has any plans to halt the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, contradicting a statement issued earlier in the day by the US State Department at the conclusion of the Aqaba Summit.

“Contrary to reports, construction, and regulation in [the West Bank] will continue according to the original planning and construction schedule, without any changes. There is and will not be any freeze,” Netanyahu tweeted on Sunday.

בניגוד לציוצים, הבנייה וההסדרה ביהודה ושומרון יימשכו בהתאם ללו״ז התכנון והבנייה המקורי, ללא שום שינוי. אין ולא תהיה שום הקפאה.

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 26, 2023

Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi echoed Netanyahu’s words, saying in a statement: “In the coming months, Israel will authorize nine outposts and will approve 9,500 new housing units in [the West Bank] … There is no settlement freeze or change in the status quo on [Al-Aqsa Mosque], and there is no limitation on army activities.”

These announcements contradict the claims made in a statement following the conclusion of the Aqaba Summit in Jordan, which alleged “an Israeli commitment to stop discussion of any new settlement units for four months and to stop authorization of any outposts for six months.”

The summit, hosted by Jordan’s King Abdullah in Aqaba on the Red Sea coast, was attended by Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), Egypt, Jordan, and the US.

This gathering coincided with a new explosion of violence in the occupied West Bank. As the summit got underway, two Israeli settlers were shot and killed by a lone Palestinian gunman near Nablus.

In response to this attack, dozens of Israeli settlers led a violent rampage on the village of Huwara on Sunday night, killing one Palestinian, injuring nearly 400, and burning dozens of homes and vehicles.

According to the joint readout of the Aqaba Summit, Israel and the PA agreed to “de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence” ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Following the summit, Netanyahu’s Jewish supremacist coalition allies rejected the agreements announced.

“What happened in Jordan (if it happened) will remain in Jordan,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said.