Palestine welcomes US government's decision to restore diplomatic ties

Palestinian leaders have welcomed the news of the announcement of US President Joe Biden to restore ties with the state. The decision will involve renewing the US relationship with the Palestinian leadership as well as the Palestinian people.

The acting U.S ambassador to United Nations, Richard Mills, on Tuesday informed the UN Security Council that the Biden administration is looking forward to resuming diplomatic ties with Palestine.

"Restoring ties with the US has to be based on implementing international law and the UN resolutions related to resolving the Palestinian cause," said Sabri Seidam, Deputy Secretary-General of the central committee of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fateh party. "Returning to Trump's plans won't' be accepted by the Palestinians," he added.

The ties between the two states had been severed since 2017 after the then U.S government of Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and encouraged Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. Trump had also halted the US economic aid to Palestinian worth 200 million after Palestinian leaders rejected the policies of the US government inciting violation of international agreements and denial of Palestinian people's rights.

Mills informed that through the restoration of ties, the US administration hopes to regain the confidence from both sides and thereby create an environment to reach a two-state solution where Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state.

"In order to advance these objectives, the Biden administration will restore credible US engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis. President Biden has been clear that he intends to restore US assistance programs that support economic development programs and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people and to take steps to reopen diplomatic relations that were closed by the last US administration," the ambassador said.