Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh called Sunday's meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid "positive," telling Walla news that the two sides agreed to build on the diplomatic exchange with future talks.
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The head of the General Authority of Civil Affairs in the Palestinian Authority traveled from Ramallah to Lapid's home in Tel Aviv. The meeting with Lapid, who also serves as the prime minister-designate, lasted for an hour, the report said.
Al-Sheikh told Walla that the meeting "opened the door" to increased contacts.
"We want this door to remain open in order to advance the resumption of negotiations in the future as well," he said, adding that during the meeting he conveyed a message from PA President Mahmoud Abbas of the importance of a political horizon between Israelis and Palestinians.
Lapid stressed that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was aware that the meeting was taking place and did not oppose it, the report noted.
The meeting came a few days after al-Sheikh was appointed to the post of chief negotiator for the PLO, a position that was previously held by the late Saeb Erekat, who died of complications from COVID-19 coin late 2020.
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The appointment is expected to be approved at the next PLO meeting on Feb. 7.
The Palestinian minister said that he raised the issue of Jewish extremist violence in the West Bank. For his part, Lapid brought up the issue of the PA's efforts to have Israel prosecuted in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
