Gaza, West Bank should be 'reunited' under Palestinian Authority: Biden

AFP , Saturday 18 Nov 2023

Gaza and the West Bank should eventually be "reunited" under a new Palestinian Authority, US President Joe Biden said in an opinion piece published Saturday.

Biden
US President Joe Biden addresses the CEO summit at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Week in San Francisco, California, on November 16, 2023. AFP

 

"As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution," he wrote in the piece published in the Washington Post.

Despite Israel's top ally Washington giving its full backing to the country in its brutal war on the Gaza Strip the United States has voiced concerns over the shocking scale of death toll caused by Israel's war, killing more than 12,300 people, many of them women and children.

It has also raised questions over the long-term future of Gaza once the Israeli invasion is over.

"A two-state solution is the only way to ensure the long-term security of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Though right now it may seem like that future has never been further away, this crisis has made it more imperative than ever," Biden said.

The US leader also threatened sanctions against settlers committing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank as bombs rain down on Gaza.

"I have been emphatic with Israel's leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable," he said.

"The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank."

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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