After it had initially decided to postpone its decision to resume peace talks with Israel, the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership has agreed to join direct peace talks with Israel, stalled since 2010. This comes following the Israeli cabinet’s approval to release 104 Palestinian prisoners held since before the Oslo Accords.
The decision did not come without opposition, with Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces violently dispersing a protest in Ramallah led by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) against the renewed talks. Hundreds of protesters chanted against the PA and the resumption of negotiations as they tried to reach the PA headquarters.