US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Wednesday after pressing Israel's leaders to offer a pathway to a Palestinian state.
Blinken crossed Israeli checkpoints to reach Ramallah, according to pool reporters who traveled with the US top diplomat.
The visit came a day after talks on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet over Israel's war with Hamas, regional tensions, and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Blinken would discuss with Abbas the PA’s responsibility to reform itself and improve its governance, he said in a news conference on Tuesday evening, reflecting Washington’s view that Abbas, 88, needs to overhaul the organization in preparation to govern a post-war Gaza.
Blinken came to Israel after visiting Washington's Arab allies, who he said want closer relations with Israel but only if that included a "practical pathway" to a Palestinian state.