Sunday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. The conference was held in the context of heightened violence in the West Bank between Israeli settlers and Hamas after the latter’s strike on Israel on October 7.
The top US diplomat’s first trip to Ramallah after the attack stated earlier was this one. It occurs at a time when the US is struggling to address the protracted hostilities between Israel and Hamas, which have led to a serious humanitarian disaster. Before coming to Ramallah, Secretary Blinken had traveled to Jordan and Israel.
Abbas and Blinken had already met twice in Jordan on Blinken’s previous visit to the area after the October incident. The goal of the most recent meeting was for the US Secretary of State to brief Abbas on the different initiatives and talks that have occurred between the US and the Israeli government.
The main topics of discussion during these talks were how to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza and how to reduce the amount of suffering that the fighting causes to civilians. The discussions also centered on establishing humanitarian pauses to facilitate the delivery of relief and the safe evacuation of residents from the area ravaged by conflict, as well as the restoration of basic services in Gaza.
The talk with Abbas was mostly on the current state of affairs in Gaza and the difficulties facing the West Bank, although Secretary Blinken hinted that the Palestinian Authority might play a role in determining Gaza’s destiny in the event that Hamas were to be overthrown.
Abbas and the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan agreed that a truce in Gaza was necessary. But mostly, the US has pushed for “humanitarian pauses” in order to allow more aid to reach Gaza and safe passage for civilians.
The discussion between Blinken and Abbas was characterized by tension, according to Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot. In reaction to what he described as Israel’s “atrocious, murderous assault on our civilians and people,” Abbas underlined the necessity of an immediate ceasefire. Instead of taking up the Israeli narrative, he emphasized how crucial it is that the US serve as an unbiased mediator.
Blinken and Abbas talked about measures to bring peace and stability back to the West Bank, specifically tackling extremist violence against Palestinians and holding those responsible accountable, according to a State Department readout of the conversation. Blinken emphasized the need to stop the forcible displacement of Palestinians and reiterated the US commitment to providing humanitarian aid and restoring basic facilities in Gaza.
The US is steadfast in its commitment to advancing the creation of a Palestinian state in accordance with the justifiable Palestinian aspirations.
Blinken voiced serious worries about the rise in extremist violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank at a meeting with the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. He underlined how grave the problem is and how it has gotten worse since the conflict started.
Since October 7, there have been a great deal of Palestinian casualties in the West Bank; the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that at least 150 Palestinians have died. This number is getting close to the total number of Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank for the year 2022.
Blinken added that the Israeli government had made a clear commitment to deal with extremist violence in the West Bank, denounce it, take action to stop it, and hold those involved accountable. The United States plans to keep a careful eye on this commitment being fulfilled.
In conclusion,
the current state of affairs in Gaza and the difficulties facing the West Bank were discussed during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. It focused on talking about reducing damage to civilians, providing humanitarian relief, and resuming basic services in Gaza. The imperative for a ceasefire was underlined, but the US has mostly supported “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting. A major worry at the discussions was the West Bank situation, with Palestinian casualties and increasing extreme violence. The United States is still dedicated to advancing efforts to create a state for Palestine and rigorously observing pledges made by all parties.