Antony Blinken makes surprise visit to West Bank amid escalating violence

Ramallah: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a surprise visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

This visit marked Blinken's first trip to the West Bank since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

The visit was conducted discreetly for security reasons and followed Blinken's meetings in Jordan and Israel on Friday. During his visit to Jordan, Blinken expressed concerns about the escalating violence in the West Bank and reiterated the US commitment to working with partners to achieve a lasting and sustainable peace in the region, reported AFP.

Close to 10,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since October 7.

Since the onset of the conflict, over 150 Palestinians have lost their lives in clashes with Israeli forces and attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank alone.

Despite providing political and military support to Israel, the United States maintains that a two-state solution remains the most viable path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Blinken has recently suggested that the Palestinian Authority should take control of the Gaza Strip, currently governed by Hamas.

Flaring tensions in the West Bank have raised concerns not only in the US but also among various European and Arab nations, as well as the United Nations. The Israeli military has reported operations against Hamas, particularly in Jenin and Nablus, in the northern region that has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.

Blinken, in his Middle East tour, has advocated for "humanitarian pauses" to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of aid in the densely populated Gaza Strip, which has been under heavy bombardment.

Blinken is scheduled to travel to Ankara, Turkey, on Sunday evening as part of his diplomatic efforts in the region.