U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Wednesday, after pressuring Israeli leaders to offer a path towards the establishment of a Palestinian state. Blinken crossed Israeli checkpoints to reach Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, according to journalists traveling with the U.S. Secretary. A spokesperson revealed that "America supports steps towards the establishment of a Palestinian state."
An official statement noted that President Abbas informed Blinken on Wednesday that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the hopes for establishing a Palestinian state and that plans by the occupying authorities to separate it or cut off any part of it cannot be accepted or dealt with. The statement, published by the Palestinian news agency, quoted Abbas as completely rejecting "the displacement of any Palestinian citizen, whether in Gaza or the West Bank." Abbas called for "holding an international peace conference to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, a matter that achieves peace and security for all."
The visit comes a day after Blinken held talks on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli war government regarding the conflict with the Islamic resistance movement (Hamas), regional tensions, and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a press conference on Tuesday evening, Blinken stated that he would discuss with Abbas the Palestinian Authority's responsibility to reform itself and improve its governance approach, reflecting Washington's view that Abbas (88 years old) needs to reform the Palestinian Authority in preparation for governing Gaza after the war.
