US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Blinken assured the Palestinian President that the United States supports “concrete measures” towards establishing a Palestinian state.
According to the journalists who accompanied the American minister, Blinken crossed the Israeli checkpoints to reach the city of Ramallah, where the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority is located.
During the meeting, Blinken pointed to the “heavy” cost to civilians as a result of the ongoing war waged by Israel against the Gaza Strip, and the sharp worsening of the humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israeli bombing.
This is the fourth visit by the US Secretary of State to the region since the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip last October.
His tour focused on avoiding the expansion of the war to additional fronts, and examining the “next day” after the end of the crisis, in addition to calling for the protection of civilians and increasing aid to the sector facing a growing humanitarian crisis.
The Palestinian Authority needs reforms
In a press conference yesterday evening, Tuesday, Blinken announced his intention to discuss with Abbas the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority in carrying out the necessary reforms and improving the approach to governance. This reflects Washington’s view that Abbas needs to carry out reforms in Palestinian government structures in preparation for ruling the Gaza Strip after the war.
During the conference, Blinken refrained from providing a description of how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government responded to his call to achieve the establishment of a Palestinian state. He pointed out the need for Israel to make difficult decisions to take advantage of the opportunities available through regional integration.
This visit comes a day after the talks Blinken held, yesterday, Tuesday, with Netanyahu and the Israeli war government, where these talks dealt with the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the regional tensions resulting from it, and the future of this war.
Blinken pointed out the need for Israel to be a partner with the Palestinian leaders, and to stop taking measures that hinder the ability of the Palestinians to represent themselves effectively.
This meeting was preceded by Blinken’s visit to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, where he presented his “post-war” plan, which focuses on the absence of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) or an Israeli civil administration in the Gaza Strip, but rather its management by Palestinian entities, with the condition that there is no An act that threatens Israel.
International organizations are demanding the entry of aid
This week, the war entered its fourth month, as the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip continues amid increasing warnings from the United Nations and international organizations of catastrophic conditions.
International organizations have confirmed that the limited aid being brought into the Gaza Strip with Israel’s approval is not sufficient to meet the needs of the Gaza Strip’s population of 2.4 million people.
On the other hand, Blinken stressed the need to increase the provision of more food, water and medicine.
He pointed out the need to improve aid deliveries to Gaza, stressing the importance of basic supplies, such as food, water and medicine, being more effectively accessible to those in need as soon as they enter the Strip.