DASH: The US is considering the possibility of creating an independent Palestinian state

2024-02-01 10:21:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

DASH: The US is considering the possibility of creating an independent

The United States is pursuing an active policy toward the creation of an independent Palestinian state that provides security guarantees to Israel and is working with partners in the region on all alternatives, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday.

Matthew Miller declined to elaborate on the department's internal work on the matter, but said at a news conference that the effort has been a target of President Joe Biden's administration.

"We are actively striving for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, with real security guarantees for Israel, because we believe that this is the best way to bring lasting peace and security to Israel, to the Palestinians and to the region." spokesman Miller said.

"There are a number of ways to achieve this, a number of steps that can be taken to achieve this objective. We have a wide range of alternatives that we are discussing with our partners in the region as well as with other partners within the US government," said spokesman Miller.

The Axios portal reported early Wednesday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked the State Department to conduct an analysis and offer policy alternatives on a possible US and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza.

British Foreign Minister David Cameron told a group of UK lawmakers that London, its allies and the United Nations "will consider the issue of recognizing a Palestinian state", the BBC reported on Tuesday.

Washington has linked the creation of a Palestinian state to Saudi Arabia's efforts to normalize relations with Israel. The effort has gained an even greater impetus after the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.

Meanwhile, the last months have marked the resumption of dialogue. US officials see the possibility of reaching an agreement on the release of all hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire as a key element that could affect the progress of efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

During a speech in Davos earlier this month, Mr Blinken said there was a "new equation" for the Middle East, in which Israel's Arab and Muslim neighbors were prepared to integrate Israel into the region, but were equally committed to a path to a Palestinian state.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes President Biden's administration's proposal to create an independent Palestinian state. He said over the weekend that he would not compromise on "full Israeli security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River"./ Voa