IDF forces training in the Jordan Valley in 2011. Photo: IDF.

Since Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas refuses to accept the presence of Israeli soldiers in the Jordan Valley as part of a framework agreement with Israel, the United States has proposed deploying its own troops in the area, according to Palestinian Authority sources cited by leading Arabic daily Asharq Al Awsat on Monday.

Sources close to Abbas, speaking to Asharq Al Awsat claimed that this latest initiative would enable Israel to retain control over intelligence gathering in the border regions. To date, the official Israeli reaction to this U.S. idea is unclear, Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported.

With regards to the Palestinian Authority, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said that since the Palestinian Authority negotiating team has not yet been presented with an official plan by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, it is not possible for the PA to comment on whether it accepts or rejects Washington’s latest recommendation.