'Horizon of Hope' For Palestinians Is 'Shrinking,' Says Blinken After Meeting With Abbas

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.

The U.S. envoy's remarks alongside the Palestinian leader came a day after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he urged both sides to take "urgent steps" to calm tensions and said Washington would work to "restore a sense of security" craved by "Israelis and Palestinians alike."