Washington:
US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the Palestinian Authority should ultimately rule the Gaza Strip and the West Bank after the Israel-Hamas war.
“As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank must be reunified under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority,” Biden said in an opinion article in the Washington Post. “All work toward a two-state solution.” ,
“There should be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no recapture, no siege or blockade, and no annexation of territory,” Biden said. He used the op-ed to answer the question of what the United States wants for Gaza after the conflict ends. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel should maintain “overall military responsibility” in Gaza “for the foreseeable future.”
Biden also said the United States is prepared to issue visa restrictions against “extremists” who attack civilians in the West Bank. Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has increased since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.
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“I continue to stress to Israeli leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those perpetrating the violence must be held accountable,” Biden said.
The West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians who live among more than half a million Jewish settlers, has been simmering for more than 18 months, raising international concern as violence has escalated since October 7.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters took part in rallies in France and Britain demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, while hundreds of others gathered again in cities across Europe.
Protests have been taking place across Europe since the latest Gaza war began following Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.
Several thousand people marched through central Paris in torrential rain behind banners reading “Stop the massacre in Gaza and the West Bank, immediate ceasefire”.
“France must immediately call for a ceasefire so that the guns fall silent,” said CGT union general secretary Sophie Binet, one of several union leaders who spoke at the rally. The CGT estimated that 60,000 people rallied in the capital and 40,000 gathered in dozens of other cities across the country. agencies
