US Secretary of State meets with Palestinian Authority President

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, November 3, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The meeting lasted about an hour, but neither side spoke to the press. According to PA President's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, at the meeting, PA President Abbas stressed the need for an "immediate ceasefire" and allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Secretary of State Blinken affirmed Washington's commitment to bringing aid to the Gaza Strip and restoring essential services there.

The US Secretary of State also emphasized that Washington is committed to "working towards realizing the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a Palestinian state."

He said that PA control of the Gaza Strip would ultimately be the most meaningful thing, but that countries and international organizations could play a role in managing and providing temporary security. The two sides also discussed the need to prevent extreme violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Secretary Blinken said that Palestinians in Gaza "will not be forced to relocate."

Mr. Blinken arrived in Ramallah just one day after meeting with Arab foreign ministers in Jordan. Before that, he also visited Israel. US Secretary of State Blinken's visit to the West Bank this time was not announced in advance for security reasons.

Since the conflict began, Secretary Blinken has made three trips to Israel and visited several other Arab countries. According to Israeli officials, the US has not called for a ceasefire, but instead supports Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas.

Speaking at a press conference with his Jordanian and Egyptian counterparts in Amman, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that stopping the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) offensive on the Gaza Strip would create conditions for Hamas to survive, gather forces and carry out attacks similar to those on October 7.

However, he criticized Israel for escalating tensions in the West Bank and stressed the urgency of continuing to support the Palestinian Authority. In his confirmation hearing before the US Senate last week, Secretary of State Blinken said the Palestinian Authority needs to regain control of Gaza.

As planned, on the evening of November 5, Secretary of State Blinken will visit Türkiye.

On the same day, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip amid rising casualties from the Hamas-Israel conflict.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Qatar, the French Foreign Minister affirmed: "An immediate, lasting and respected humanitarian ceasefire is absolutely necessary ." She said France is working to achieve a resolution on the ceasefire passed by the United Nations Security Council.

According to Israeli statistics, since the surprise attack by the Hamas Islamist movement on October 7, more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and about 240 people have been taken hostage. Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials said the death toll from Israel's retaliatory attacks on the Gaza Strip has reached 9,488 people and 23,000 people have been injured.

(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper)

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