The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to “accept and implement a US security plan aimed at reestablishing Palestinian Authority control over the cities of Jenin and Nablus”, the news website Axios reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, “the Biden administration is looking for ways to de-escalate the situation in the West Bank and prevent it from deteriorating into a third intifada.”
Axios cited US and Israeli officials as saying that “during his meeting with Abbas in Ramallah, (…) Blinken stressed that one of the most important steps the PA needs to take in order to de-escalate the security situation is to accept and implement a security plan that was drafted by US security coordinator Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel”.
‘Israel’s Great Failure’: Where Do Weapons of the Palestinian Resistance Come From?
Fentel’s plan, according to Axios, was presented to the Israeli government and to the PA several weeks ago and “lays out how the Palestinian security forces can regain control over the northern West Bank, mainly in Jenin but also in Nablus.”
“The plan includes the training of a special Palestinian force that would be deployed to this area to counter the militias,” Axios added.
According to the report, “Palestinian officials told Fenzel that the plan was problematic because it didn’t include any demands from Israel” and “doesn’t take into consideration the need of the PA to build public support for such an operation”.
Blinken reportedly urged Abbas to resume “security coordination” with Israel, which was interrupted after the Israeli army massacre in Jenin on January 26, when ten Palestinians were killed and 20 others were wounded by Israeli army gunfire.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
