Meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas, US Secretary of State Blinken Condemns Violence Against Palestinian Civilians in the West Bank

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Twitter/@SecBlinken)

JAKARTA - The United States Secretary of State condemned violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and discussed increasing humanitarian assistance for the Gaza Strip when he met President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday.

This is the third time Secretary of State Blinken has visited the Middle East, since the latest Hamas-Israel war broke out on October 7. Before meeting President Abbas, Foreign Minister Blinken met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu first.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken today met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah," according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, reported by Anadolu December 1.

"Secretary Blinken discussed ongoing efforts to accelerate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including through maximizing humanitarian pauses," continued Miller.

Miller further said that Secretary of State Blinken and President Abbas also spoke about the "urgent need for steps to increase security and freedom for Palestinians in the West Bank".

"Secretary Blinken condemned extremist violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and said he would continue to demand full accountability for those responsible," Miller said.

He added that Secretary of State Blinken "reaffirmed that the United States remains committed to advancing concrete steps for a Palestinian state."

Meanwhile, citing The Times of Israel from the official Wafa news agency, President Abbas emphasized the need to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, spare civilians from bombing and increase the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

President Abbas also reportedly handed Secretary of State Blinken a "comprehensive file documenting the crimes of Israel's occupation of Gaza, and the West Bank, including Jerusalem."