- Blinken met Abbas in Ramallah, West bank.
- This month’s war has claimed the lives of 35 Palestinian adults and children.
- Blinken underlined the United States support for a Palestinian state.
RAMALLAH: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his sorrow Tuesday for “innocent” Palestinians martyred in a spike of violence in the occupied West Bank, after meeting Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
Washington’s top diplomat met Abbas in Ramallah, West Bank, on the final stop of a Middle East tour aimed at halting the violence, after meeting with Israeli Prime Official Benjamin Netanyahu and a cabinet minister.
A new wave of violence has hit both sides. On Friday, a man shot and killed seven people in an Israeli settlement in occupied east Jerusalem, a day after the worst army raid in years in the West Bank killed ten Palestinians.
This month’s war has claimed the lives of 35 Palestinian adults and children, as well as six Israeli civilians, including a toddler, and one Ukrainian.
Blinken expressed his “sorrow for the innocent Palestinian people who have lost their lives in growing violence over the previous year” in Ramallah.
Since the United Nations began counting fatalities in the occupied territory in 2005, the year 2022 has been the worst in the West Bank.
“Palestinians and Israelis alike are suffering rising insecurity and terror in their homes, communities, and places of worship,” Blinken added.
The remarks by the US envoy alongside the Palestinian leader come a day after he met with Netanyahu and encouraged both sides to take “urgent efforts” to de-escalate tensions.
After meeting with Palestinian people in the West Bank, US Secretary of State John Kerry claimed he witnessed a “shrinking horizon of hope” for Palestinians.
Unwavering support
Blinken met with new Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant before departing for the West Bank on Tuesday. Gallant was appointed as part of Netanyahu’s right-wing government in December.
Gallant hailed Blinken for his “unwavering commitment” to preserving Israel’s regional military superiority.
The deadly east Jerusalem shooting was followed by Israel’s worst operation in the West Bank in years, which killed ten people in the densely crowded Jenin refugee camp on Thursday. Israel said that its forces were targeting Islamic Jihad operatives.
In response to rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave, Israel struck locations in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The group stated Blinken’s visit “emphasizes the utter support and partnership with the (Israeli) occupation”.
Netanyahu’s government has sought to penalize “terrorist families who enable terrorism” with home demolitions and other measures.
His administration also intends to revoke the family of the assailants’ rights to social security payments, as well as take steps to make it easier for Israeli citizens to obtain permits to carry firearms.
Close the file
Blinken had made an initial visit to Egypt, where he met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, commending “Egypt’s crucial role in promoting stability in the area”.
Egypt’s diplomatic and intelligence agencies, which get significant US military help, are frequently called upon to mediate between Israelis and Palestinians.
Blink en’s journey to Israel is part of the Biden administration’s efforts to immediately connect with Netanyahu, who had strained relations with the previous Democratic president, Barack Obama.
Blinken underlined the United States support for a Palestinian state.
Blinken criticized Israeli efforts in Ramallah that Washington feels are impeding the two-state solution.
“Settlement growth, legalization of (settlement) outposts, demolitions and evictions, interruptions to the historic status of holy sites, and, of course, provocation and acquiescence to violence,” he said.
Settlements and the demolition of Palestinian homes have been high on the agenda of Netanyahu’s new government, Israel’s most right-wing administration in history.
During Netanyahu’s previous tenure, Israel established ties with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, thanks to agreements negotiated by then-US President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu said on Monday that broadening previous agreements and “trying to finally complete the file of the Arab-Israeli problem” will also help him establish a workable solution with his Palestinian neighbors.
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