Blinken meets Palestinian leader Abbas in surprise West Bank visit
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah during a surprise visit to the West Bank on Sunday, stepping up Washington’s Middle East diplomacy as the Israel-Hamas war escalates.
Blinken also paid an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday, and was due to visit Turkey in the evening, as the U.S. tries to tamp down tensions in the region after the Hamas attacks on Israel last month.
But even as Washington keeps urging Israel to take a humanitarian pause from its bombing of Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing scores of people. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 40 people died and dozens were wounded in the strike on the Al Maghazi camp.
In Ramallah, Abbas and Blinken discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and to hold those accountable responsible, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said after the meeting, the AP reported. There were no public comments from either participant.
Abbas told Blinken that there should be an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and the delivery of aid into the Gaza Strip, according to Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for the Palestinian leader, Reuters reported.
The call for a cease-fire echoed demands from Arab leaders in recent days. France on Sunday reiterated its urging that the hostilities in Gaza be immediately put to an end.
After his talks in Ramallah, Blinken traveled to Baghdad where he held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 05 November 2023. Blinken traveled to Ramallah following a visit to Tel Aviv and Amman, where he had talks on the Israel-Hamas conflict, including efforts to secure the immediate release of hostages and humanitarian assistance entering Gaza, the US State Department said. EPA-EFE/ALAA BADARNEH / POOL
