فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Jerusalem: The administration of President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States would close an independent Palestinian Affairs Office in Jerusalem, a largely symbolic move that is supported by Israel.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio “has decided to fully merge the responsibilities of the Palestinian Affairs Office with other sections of the US Embassy,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters.
The spokesperson argued that this decision does not reflect a change in policy towards the Palestinians but is part of a reorganization of the State Department.
During his first term, Trump moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a major victory for Israel. At the same time, he closed the Palestinian Affairs Office, a de facto consulate in Jerusalem for the Palestinians.
Rubio’s predecessor, Antony Blinken, sought to reopen the consulate while keeping the embassy in Jerusalem, but Israel opposed this. As a result, the United States established the Palestinian Affairs Office within the embassy compound, but it reported separately to Washington.
The closure of this independent office comes as Israel conducts an offensive in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for Hamas’s attack on its territory on October 7, 2023.
