Israel approves measures for Palestinians after leaders meet

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister has approved a raft of measures aimed at improving relations with the Palestinians following a rare meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Israel. Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s office said Wednesday that he approved “confidence-building measures” including the transfer of tax payments to the Palestinian Authority. Also approved were the authorization of hundreds of permits for Palestinian merchants and VIPs and residency status for thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Gantz met with Abbas at his private residence in a Tel Aviv suburb late Tuesday night. It was the first time Abbas met an Israeli official inside Israel since 2010.