Israel and Palestine take steps to curb violence as Ramadan holiday nears

Israel and the Palestinians pledged on Sunday at a meeting in Egypt to take steps to lower tensions ahead of a sensitive holiday season – including a partial freeze on Israeli settlement activity and an agreement to work together to “curb and counter violence”.

But a Palestinian shooting attack that wounded two Israelis in the occupied West Bank underscored the tough work that lies ahead as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches this week.

The Israeli and Palestinian delegations met for the second time in less than a month, shepherded by regional allies Egypt and Jordan, as well as the United States , to end a year-long spasm of violence.