Oct. 13 (UPI) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the current Israeli-Gaza conflict in separate meetings in Jordan’s capital of Amman on Friday.
Blinken wrote on social media that he and Abbas were able to discuss “the abhorrent terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel.”
“I detailed U.S. efforts to coordinate with partners to prevent the conflict from widening,” Blinken said.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken detailed U.S. efforts to “coordinate with partners to prevent the conflict from widening” and reaffirmed U.S. commitment to “cooperation with the Palestinian leadership and people on efforts to ensure security for all.
“The Secretary thanked President Abbas and his team for their work to further calm the situation for the benefit of Palestinians, Israelis and the tens of thousands of Americans who also call the West Bank Home,” Miller said.
In his meeting with King Abdullah, Miller said Blinken further stressed the need to keep the conflict from spreading and negotiate the freedom of hostages.
“The Secretary underscored that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination and discussed ways to address the humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza while Israel conducts legitimate security operations to defend itself from terrorism,” Miller said.
“The secretary reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral partnership and the U.S. commitment to Jordan’s security and economic prosperity and expressed enduring U.S. appreciation for Jordan’s special role in Jerusalem and as a force for stability in the region.”
Abbas and Abdullah met separately, as Abbas sought to distance the Palestinian Liberation Organization from Hamas, after his secular Fatah Party lost its governing majority to Hamas in 2006.
“We emphasize the police of the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, which renounce violence and adheres to international legitimacy, peaceful popular resistance, freedom and independence of our Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the 1967 borders,” he said.
Abbas also called for aggression toward Palestinians to end and additional humanitarian aid to the region, including restoring water and electricity that had been cut off by Israel to be restored.
Friday’s meetings came after Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they both spoke to alleged war crimes Hamas has committed during its attack on Israel, which started on Saturday, including the burning of bodies and killing of families after breaking into their homes.
Blinken also sought to make clear that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people and that citizens should not have to pay for the group’s actions.
