President Abbas receives a congratulatory phone call from US Secretary of State

RAMALAH: President Mahmoud Abbas Monday evening received a congratulatory phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During the phone call, Blinken congratulated President Abbas on forming the new government, headed by longtime presidential economic adviser Mohammed Mustafa, and they discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian arena, including efforts aimed at halting the Israeli aggression on Gaza. President Abbas stressed the need to halt immediately the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, and the importance of expediting the entry of medical and food supplies and supplying water, electricity and fuel to the whole of the Gaza Strip, including the northern Strip. He called upon Blinken to prevent Israel from launching any military operation in Rafah and warned of the possible repercussions of such an operation, particularly affecting innocent civilians. He reaffirmed his rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians whether in the Gaza Strip or t he West Bank, including Jerusalem while reiterating that the Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine and that the occupation authorities' schemes intended to separate the Strip, which falls under the scope of the State of Palestine's responsibility and management, or appropriate a part of its territory are unacceptable and would not be dealt with. He also stressed the need for the US side to intervene to halt not only the forced displacement of Palestinians at the hands of the occupation authorities in the West Bank, particularly in the Jordan Valley, but also terrorist setter assaults, and to put further pressure on Israel to release the withheld Palestinian tax revenues, open all checkpoints in the West Bank and enable the State of Palestine to exercise control over its international crossings. On his part, US Secretary of State Blinken affirmed that the US was looking forward to working with the new Palestinian government to boost bilateral relations, and would exert pressure to ensure the pr otection of civilians in the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid to the Strip. He also affirmed that his country, in cooperation with Palestinian and Arab parties, would continue to work to find a political solution conducive to the establishment of the Palestinian state. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA