Israeli PM calls Palestinian president for Muslim holiday

JERUSALEM, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid made a phone call on Friday to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to greet the Palestinian leader for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

The Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement that the two leaders also spoke about "the continuation of cooperation and the need to ensure quiet and calm."

This is the first call between an Israeli prime minister and a Palestinian leader in years and came after Abbas met with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday evening.

"The meeting was conducted in positive terms," read a statement from Gantz's office, adding the two sides discussed regional, civilian and security challenges.

Also on Friday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a phone call with Abbas to wish him and the Palestinian people a happy Eid al-Adha, and to discuss the upcoming visit of U.S. President Joe Biden.

High-level communications between Israeli and Palestinian officials are rare as peace negotiations between the two sides have been stalled since 2014.