US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to the occupied West Bank on Sunday to reassure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that US President Joe Biden’s administration was stepping up efforts to alleviate the plight of Gaza’s civilians.
Reports suggest that Blinken has been on a Middle East tour since Friday to meet various leaders from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, as well as Iraq, among others, where he warned Iran that the US is ready to support its regional partners against attacks by Iran or its proxies in the region.
Blinken Meets Palestine Leader
As per the readout, Blinken met with President Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday. The Secretary underlined the US commitment to providing humanitarian aid and restoring key services in Gaza and emphasised that Palestinians must not be forcibly displaced.
Furthermore, both sides talked about measures to restore peace and stability in the West Bank, particularly the need to put an end to extreme violence against Palestinians and punish those responsible for it.
Met with President Abbas and affirmed our commitment to delivery of humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services in Gaza. Made clear that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must end and reiterated our support for a two state solution. pic.twitter.com/gax3F23ned
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 5, 2023
Blinken further reaffirmed the US commitment to promoting equitable levels of dignity and security for Palestinians and Israelis alike. He also highlighted the US’ support to working towards the fulfilment of Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Blinken’s Visit to Iraq
In Baghdad, Blinken met with Iraqi PM Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani. They discussed the Israel-Hamas conflict and the need to prevent the war from spreading, particularly to Iraq.
Here, the American official addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and assured continued commitment to working with Iraq and other regional allies to provide Gazans with sustained and secure access to food, water, medical care, and other humanitarian aid.
Both sides also emphasised the need to prevent Palestinians from being forcefully relocated outside of Gaza, the readout said.
Additionally, Blinken asked the Iraqi PM to hold those responsible for the ongoing attacks on US soldiers in Iraq accountable, and implement Iraq’s promises to safeguard all facilities hosting US forces at the Iraqi government’s request.
Further, he stated that the Palestinian Authority “is playing a very important role right now in the West Bank in trying to keep stability there. That’s hugely important because no one wants another front in the West Bank or anywhere else, and they’re really stepping up under very difficult conditions to do the necessary work.”
Blinken emphasised that “what we all agree” is that, in shaping a future for Gaza, the West Bank, and “ultimately,” for a Palestinian state, “Palestinian voices have to be at the centre of that.”
“The Palestinian Authority is the representative of those voices so it’s important that it play a leading role.’’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 5, 2023
Blinken met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad for more than an hour.
Ahead of his stop in Iraq, Blinken made stops in Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Cyprus. From Iraq, he will… pic.twitter.com/rTkAGg8OOr
Blinken Attends Summit in Amman
The US Secretary of State travelled to Amman to attend a meeting organised by Jordan’s foreign minister, wherein top diplomats from Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) secretary general also participated.
At the summit, the Arab leaders demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but Blinken maintained the US objection, stating that it would allow Hamas time to reorganise and launch another attack on Israel.
Blinken praised Egypt and Jordan’s efforts towards a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying he was “particularly grateful to Jordan and to Egypt, two partners who have long worked to advance a two-state solution, for their dedication to a more stable and to a more peaceful Middle East.”
“We come together here today sharing the same fundamental interest and objective: To end this conflict in a way that ensures lasting peace and security in the region,” Blinken asserted.
US Secretary of State Blinken after meeting Arab ministers in Amman:
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) November 4, 2023
- Support “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza
- Israel must take necessary steps to prevent civilian casualties
- Discussed efforts to release hostages in Gaza with Qatar PM
- We can’t go back to status quo pic.twitter.com/ynPr6JRqz5
“We may have different views and positions on certain necessary steps to achieve that objective, but today, we reaffirmed our individual commitments to continuing to work toward that end,” he added.
“I think we all share deep concern about the plight of civilians in Gaza - men, women and children [...] We’ve worked very hard to make sure that that assistance can flow to them,” he said.
Blinken also emphasised the actions Israel should take to prevent casualties and claims to have discussed them with authorities. “In my meetings with Israeli officials yesterday, I conveyed additional steps that they can and should take to do just that. Protecting civilians will help prevent Hamas from further exploiting the situation. But most important, it’s simply the right and moral thing to do.”
In his concluding remarks, the American official said, “we all recognize that we cannot go back to the status quo. And we all understand that we not only have an interest, but a responsibility, to do everything we can to chart a better path forward together.”