Palestinian president, Israeli defence minister hold rare talksGantz's trip to Ramallah marked the first publicly disclosed face-to-face diplomacy with the 86-year-old Palestinian leader since a new Israeli government was installed in June. RAMALLAH (PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES) - Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank on Sunday for the first official Israeli-Palestinian talks since Prime Minister Naftali Bennett took office in June. Gantz travelled to the West Bank city of Ramallah for security and economic discussions with the 85-year-old Palestinian leader, officials said on Monday. "Defence Minister Benny Gantz met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas (Sunday) evening to discuss security policy, civilian and economic issues," Israel's defence ministry said in a statement. Gantz's office said the defence minister and Abbas held "a one-on-one meeting" after the larger talks.

Source: Bangkok Post August 30, 2021 03:22 UTC