US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commended Defense Minister Benny Gantz for the diplomatic advances made with the Palestinian Authority in a meeting held between the two on Sunday afternoon.
Blinken, who met with Gantz in between other meetings with several Israeli officials, said Gantz's work "creates practical improvements in the lives of Palestinians." Gantz previously met with the PA's Mahmoud Abbas and was set to join a meeting between Abbas and Jordanian King Abdullah II before it was nixed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Gantz also ordered to increase the number of work visas given to Palestinians, allowing some 20,000 additional Gazans to enter sovereign Israeli territory for work, a "vital" decision, Blinken said.
During the meeting, the defense minister also conveyed his appreciation for the US' replenishment of Israel's Iron Dome arsenal.