Title: US Secretary of State seeks to promote political solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict during Palestine visit
Introduction :
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of his fourth tour of the Middle East since the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Blinken’s goal is to promote political reforms while seeking to mobilize the region around a plan to rebuild Gaza, which is expected to include concrete steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state. However, this approach faces serious obstacles.
Major political obstacles:
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state neighboring Israel. The Gaza reconstruction plan proposed by Israel on January 4 does not include a political solution for the whole of Palestine. Faced with this position, Mahmoud Abbas, whose government exercises limited power in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, recently reaffirmed that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state. The search for political consensus between the parties therefore remains a major challenge.
Pledges to support the reconstruction of Gaza:
Despite these obstacles, Antony Blinken claims to have obtained commitments from several countries in the region to help with the reconstruction and governance of Gaza following the war between Israel and Hamas. It is important to note that during his visit to the West Bank, the US Secretary of State also met with the Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the party of the late Yasser Arafat, Nobel laureate of Peace in 1994 for his efforts for peace between Israel and Palestine.
A worrying humanitarian situation:
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains worrying. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli army has killed 23,357 Palestinians and injured more than 59,000, two-thirds of whom are women and children. It is important to emphasize that these figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. This latest clash between Israel and Hamas was triggered by the attack by Hamas militants who killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and took around 250 hostage on October 7.
Conclusion :
Antony Blinken’s visit to Palestine illustrates ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although political and humanitarian challenges remain, it is encouraging to see regional commitment to the reconstruction of Gaza. However, it will take solid political consensus and concrete measures to move towards the creation of a Palestinian state and ensure lasting peace in the region.. The international community plays a key role in this process and must continue to support efforts to resolve the conflict.