LONDON: US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf is expected to travel to Israel and the West Bank on Saturday, the State Department announced on Friday.
During her four-day visit, Leaf will “consult with Israeli and Palestinian partners on a range of priorities, including deepening bilateral US cooperation with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.”
The State Department said that she will also discuss Israeli-Palestinian relations and US support for a two-state solution, as well as deterring Iran’s aggressive regional activities, and support for Israel’s integration into the broader Middle East region.
During the visit, Leaf will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and representatives of civil societies from both sides.
She will be accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr and NSC Director for Israel and Palestinian Affairs Cynthia Cook, the State Department added.
The announcement comes a day after the US upgraded its diplomatic mission to the Palestinians, reversing a Trump administration move ahead of a planned visit by President Joe Biden in July.
On Thursday, Palestinian officials hosted Amr in Ramallah, their seat of government in the occupied West Bank. They had no immediate comment at the end of the meeting.
(With Reuters)
US State Department official to visit Israel, West Bank on Saturday
https://arab.news/6g824
US State Department official to visit Israel, West Bank on Saturday
Rubio pushes for New Year’s humanitarian truce in Sudan
- “Ninety-nine percent of our focus is this humanitarian truce and achieving that as soon as possible,” Rubio said
- “And we think that the new year and the upcoming holidays are a great opportunity”
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the new year offered a chance for a humanitarian truce in war-ravaged Sudan as he urged outside countries to exert leverage.
“Ninety-nine percent of our focus is this humanitarian truce and achieving that as soon as possible,” Rubio told a news conference.
“And we think that the new year and the upcoming holidays are a great opportunity for both sides to agree to that, and we’re really pushing very hard on that regard,” he said.
Sudan has been devastated since the army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) went to war in April 2023, with tens of thousands of people killed, millions displaced and widespread abuses and hunger.
Rubio said both sides have violated commitments as he voiced alarm at new reports of humanitarian convoys being struck.
“What’s happening there is horrifying. It’s atrocious,” he said.
“One day the story of what’s actually happened there is going to be known, and everyone involved is going to look bad.”
“Someone is allowing it to be shipped in, and someone is actually shipping it. So we’ve had the right and appropriate conversations with all sides of this conflict,” he said.
“We’re hopeful that we can make some progress on this, but we know that in order to make progress on this, it will require outside actors to use their leverage,” Rubio concluded.
