US Secretary of State Blinken Holds Talks with Palestinian President Abbas
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. The two leaders discussed the post-war plans for Gaza, including steps towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
This visit is part of Blinken’s fourth trip to the region since Israel’s war in Gaza began on October 7. Following the meeting, Blinken made a surprise trip to Bahrain, while Abbas met with leaders in neighboring Jordan.
Blinken’s arrival in Ramallah was met with protests, as some demonstrators scuffled with Palestinian security forces in riot gear, holding signs that read “Stop the genocide,” “Free Palestine,” and “Blinken out.”
During the meeting, Blinken discussed efforts to minimize civilian harm in Gaza and increase the delivery of aid to the besieged enclave, expressing support for a Palestinian state and encouraging administrative reforms of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Abbas emphasized that Palestinians should not be displaced from Gaza or the West Bank.
However, Hamas officials rejected Blinken’s visit, stating that it aimed to support the security of Israel and justifying the “genocide committed by the Israeli occupation army against Palestinian civilians.” They called his efforts “miserable attempts to wash the hands of the criminal occupation of the blood of children, women, and the elderly of Gaza.”
Since the beginning of the war, over 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israeli bombardments. The US has repeatedly stated that the PA should govern Gaza once Israel eliminates Hamas, as it lost control of the strip to Hamas in 2007.
Later in the day, Blinken traveled to Bahrain, where he discussed the role of regional powers in post-war Gaza and efforts to bring countries in the region together to provide for the security of Israel and a pathway to statehood for Palestinians.
Following Blinken’s visit, Abbas met with King Abdullah of Jordan and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi, who emphasized the need to increase pressure to end Israel’s “aggression” against Gaza and protect civilians there. They also rejected any Israeli plans to separate the fate of Gaza from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, stating that both entities were the basis for a future Palestinian state.
Blinken’s visit to the region follows his tour of Washington’s allies in the Middle East, where he discussed the importance of a practical pathway to a Palestinian state with countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. He also emphasized the need for Israel to make hard decisions and choices to achieve lasting peace and security.