U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Middle East trip was aimed at curbing the worst outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence in years

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked senior members of his team to stay in the region and help ease Israeli-Palestinian tensions after meeting with West Bank officials on Tuesday as the final stop of his Middle East tour.

In a press conference in Ramallah after meeting with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken expressed his sorrow for "innocent" Palestinians killed in a spike of violence in the West Bank and that restoring calm was “the immediate task."

"Palestinians and Israelis alike are experiencing growing insecurity, growing fear in their homes, in their communities, and in their places of worship," said Blinken, adding that Washington opposed Israeli settlement expansion in West Bank territory, violations of the status quo in Jerusalem, and house demolitions of what Israel deems to be illegal Palestinian homes.... Read More: i24