US Urges Palestinian Authority To Play Central Role In Gaza Post-Conflict

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has emphasized the need for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to play a central role in shaping the region’s future to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, according to a report by The Guardian.

Blinken’s message was relayed during a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting was focused to address the “day after” in the conflict, should Israel succeed in its mission to weaken Hamas.

Both Blinken and Abbas discussed how to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, and the need to stop extreme violence against Palestinians.

The PA, which hasn’t governed Gaza since 2007 when Hamas took control, has been on the sidelines of the region’s political landscape. However, Abbas’s call for an immediate ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza demonstrates the PA’s willingness to assume power within the framework of a “comprehensive political solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Blinken stressed the US’s commitment to delivering life-saving aid and essential services in Gaza while advocating against the forcible displacement of Palestinians.

Still, Blinken rejected the idea of a ceasefire, saying: “It is our view now that a ceasefire would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on October 7.”