Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday about reforming the Palestinian Authority as part of U.S. efforts to rally the region behind post-war plans for Gaza. Mr. Blinken has secured commitments from multiple countries in the region to assist in the rebuilding and governing of Gaza after Israel’s war against Hamas. Wider Israeli-Arab normalization is still possible, says Blinken, but only if there is a pathway to a Palestinian state.
In their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mr. Blinken told Mr. Abbas that the United States supports “tangible steps towards the creation of a Palestinian state.” They also discussed administrative reform. The vision outlined by Mr. Blinken faces serious obstacles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government opposes the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The Palestinian leadership, which was driven from Gaza when Hamas took over in 2007, lacks legitimacy in the view of many Palestinians.
On his fourth visit to the region since the war began three months ago, Mr. Blinken has met with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey. He states that they are open to contributing to post-war plans in return for progress on creating a Palestinian state. The Saudi Ambassador to the UK said on Tuesday that although the country is interested in a landmark normalization agreement with Israel, it must also include “nothing less than an independent state of Palestine.”
Mr. Blinken emphasised that the Palestinian Authority has a responsibility to reform itself and improve its governance. The Palestinian Authority governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank under interim peace deals reached in the 1990s and cooperates with Israel on security matters. Later Wednesday, Mr. Abbas was set to meet with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt, two U.S. allies who have served as mediators in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it crushes Hamas and returns scores of hostages held by the terrorist group after it attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the war. Nearly 85 percent of Gaza’s population has been driven from their homes by the fighting. The Israeli military is focusing major operations on the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza. Since the war began, Israel’s offensive has killed 23,357 Palestinians and wounded over 59,000, according to an update from the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza.