By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser will visit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Friday, according to a U.S. official.
The official said on Thursday that the adviser, Jake Sullivan, would discuss “ongoing efforts to revamp and revitalize” the Palestinian Authority and holding “extremist” settlers accountable for violence against Palestinians. The official declined to be named.
Sullivan said on Thursday that governance of the West Bank and Gaza Strip needs to be connected under a refurbished Palestinian Authority.
He also told Israel’s Channel 12 television that he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israel shifting from high-intensity military operations in Gaza to a more precise and targeted phase.
Sullivan declined to give details or a timeline, but he called the conversation constructive and said there was a “wide degree of convergence” on strategic objectives and steps needed.
Palestinians, meanwhile, have complained of a rise in Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.
The White House said Sullivan’s talks in the region had also been focused on resuming a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow for the release of more hostages held in Gaza.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)
