Secret talks have been underway for almost two months between top aides to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in hopes of de-escalating tensions over West Bank occupation, Axios reports.

Ahead of the inauguration of the new Israeli government, Palestinian Minister for Civilian Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh sent word to Netanyahu through the Biden administration the Palestinian Authority was willing to work with Netanyahu, Axios reported, citing three sources familiar with the talks who were not authorized to publicly speak about them.

Al-Sheikh then sent the same message after the new Israeli government was sworn in. Al-Sheikh also serves as secretary general of the PLO executive committee and the point person for Palestinian relations with the U.S. and Israel.

According to the sources, Netanyahu was receptive and put national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi in charge of the talks.

Initially, the talks were spent on day-to-day issues and trying to de-escalate tensions on Israeli West Bank settlements, the sources said, adding Hanegbi and Al-Sheikh spoke on the phone often and also met in person.

Their most recent meeting was just in the past few days and looked into smoothing out how the U.N. Security Council vote against the Israeli settlements in the West Bank was suspended.

Axios quoted a "senior Israeli official" saying that even though the talks do not concern final status negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, keeping a line of communication between the leaders is vital to solve problems and de-escalate tensions.

Hanegbi seemed to confirm the talks in a public briefing to the Conference of Presidents of the Jewish Organizations in North America on Monday, saying they are needed to prevent unilateral steps from both sides.

"There were discussions with the Americans and also with us on creating some kind of a new environment by stopping the unilateral steps that were taken in recent months. We are ready for it," he said.

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