During the visit of the Palestinian President Abbas, US President Biden advocates a two-state solution. But that seems to be a long way off. Rockets are fired from the Gaza Strip again at night. Israel then flies a retaliatory attack.
After rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military has flown airstrikes on positions of the radical Islamist Hamas in the Palestinian territory. The Israeli military said one of the largest missile production facilities was hit during the attack. A Hamas spokesman condemned the attacks. He did not say whether there were victims.
The Israeli military spoke of a retaliatory attack after four rockets were fired from Hamas-controlled territory overnight. One projectile was intercepted by the missile shield and three others fell on open fields. Alarm sirens sounded overnight in Ashkelon and other places in southern Israel bordering the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden visited the Israeli-occupied West Bank as part of his trip to the Middle East, which also took him to Israel. He also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Biden again spoke out in favor of a two-state solution in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. It remains the best way to achieve security, prosperity, freedom and democracy for both Israelis and Palestinians, Biden said after meeting Abbas.
By two-state solution is meant that an independent, democratic and demilitarized state of Palestinians coexists peacefully with Israel. The peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has been idle since 2014. "The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that is independent, sovereign, viable and cohesive," Biden said. But he knew that the goal seemed a long way off.
Biden then traveled on by historic direct flight to the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah, where he first met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. On Saturday, the US President will take part in a summit meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.
