In a telephone conversation with Israeli Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for “affirmative steps,” to halt extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
During the call, Blinken emphasised that the US “remains committed to advancing a two-state solution.”
According to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Blinken “stressed the urgent need for affirmative steps to de-escalate tensions in the West Bank, including by confronting rising levels of settler extremist violence.”
Blinken and Gantz also discussed “ongoing efforts to prevent the [Israel-Hamas] conflict from widening and to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, including US citizens.”
The secretary’s call came amid Israeli raids in the West Bank, including in the town of Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp, which resulted in clashes with Palestinian militants.
The West Bank faces a surge in tensions between Palestinians and the Israeli army, which has intensified conducting night raids in several areas amid rising settler violence and Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
