Blinken seeks Palestinian governance reform for postwar Gaza as deadly Israeli strikes continue

By MATTHEW LEE, WAFAA SHURAFA and JACK JEFFERY
Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to seek governance reforms. It’s part of a plan to rally the region behind a postwar vision for Gaza that includes concrete steps toward a Palestinian state. Blinken says he has secured commitments from multiple countries in the region to assist with rebuilding and governing Gaza after the war against Hamas, but only if there is “a pathway to a Palestinian state.” That approach faces serious obstacles, beginning with the Israeli government’s adamant opposition to Palestinian statehood. The effort would also have to grapple with the Western-backed Palestinian leadership’s lack of legitimacy among its own people.