
US secretary of state Antony Blinken visited the West Bank on Sunday as he claimed the ruling Palestinian Authority (PA) should play a central role in the future of the Gaza Strip.
Mr Blinken passed through Israeli checkpoints to meet PA president Mahmoud Abbas in the city of Ramallah on his second visit to the region since Palestinian Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 others hostage.