US Secretary of State makes surprise visit to West Bank; Israel disciplines minister

Secretary of State Blinken met with President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The West Bank (the area west of the Jordan River), along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, are areas that Palestinians reside in and consider to belong to their "future state."

The unannounced meeting comes as part of Mr. Blinken’s latest diplomatic push in the Middle East. It is the second time the top diplomat of the United States, a key ally of Israel, has visited the region since the Hamas-Israel conflict erupted on October 7. Mr. Blinken has visited Israel and Jordan in the past two days, and is scheduled to hold meetings in Turkey on November 6.

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Reuters said Mr. Blinken and Mr. Abbas talked for about an hour but did not speak to the media.

According to Mr. Abbas's spokesman, the leader stressed to Mr. Blinken the urgency of an immediate ceasefire as well as the delivery of relief supplies into Gaza.

Ngoại trưởng Mỹ bất ngờ đến Bờ Tây; Israel kỷ luật bộ trưởng - Ảnh 1. — Secretary of State Blinken (left) meets with President Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on November 5.

In a statement released by the US State Department , Mr. Blinken said Washington was committed to bringing relief supplies into Gaza and restoring essential services there. Mr. Blinken "also expressed the US commitment to working toward realizing the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Blinken said an “effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority” would be best placed to govern Gaza in the long term, but he also said other countries and international agencies could play a role in security and governance in Gaza in the short term.

According to the statement, Mr. Blinken told Mr. Abbas that Palestinians in Gaza “cannot be forcibly evacuated” and the two discussed “the need to prevent extremist violence against Palestinians” in the West Bank.

US Secretary of State rejects Arab leaders' request for ceasefire in Gaza

Israel has repeatedly called on Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza to move south as fighting intensifies, raising concerns about a humanitarian crisis. Israel has also rejected calls from the United States for a partial ceasefire, which Washington says is necessary to allow aid into Gaza and allow people to leave safely.

In another development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 5 disciplined Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, who appeared to voice support for the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear attack on Gaza. Netanyahu's office said Eliyahu, a member of a far-right party in the coalition government, was suspended from attending cabinet meetings "until further notice," according to Reuters.

Earlier, Mr. Eliyahu participated in a radio interview. When asked about the option of using nuclear weapons in Gaza, he replied: "That is one way." His words attracted attention in the Arab media and caused controversy in the Israeli mainstream media.

Neither Eliyahu nor his party leaders were part of the team that led Israel’s war in Gaza. Nor did they have access to Israel’s nuclear capabilities — which it has not publicly acknowledged — or the authority to activate them, according to Reuters.

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"Mr. Eliyahu's statements are not based on reality. Israel and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) are operating according to the highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocent people. We will continue to do so until victory is achieved," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

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