Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported on Wednesday that the US has pledged increases in financial aid to the Palestinian Authority while setting conditions that there must be visible progress in negotiations with Israel. The slight increase in aid money is in addition to the $4 billion plan US Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed to breathe life into the Palestinian economy. Kerry was scheduled to arrive in Israel for his latest trip on Thursday afternoon for meetings with Israeli leaders and then separately later with PA leaders. “It is a two-stage process in our minds, agreement on a framework for negotiations and then a permanent-status agreement or a peace treaty” by April, a State Department official said. Read More
