Biden says Palestinian Authority should ultimately govern Gaza and West Bank

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the Palestinian Authority should ultimately govern the Gaza Strip and the West Bank following the Israel-Hamas war.

In an opinion article in the Washington Post, Biden also said the U.S. is prepared to issue visa bans against "Jewish extremists" attacking civilians in the West Bank.

Biden emphasized, in a recent statement, the necessity of Gaza ultimately being under the control of "a revitalized Palestinian Authority."

"As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority," he wrote.

Highlighting his commitment to a two-state solution, Biden said: "There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory."

He acknowledged an increase in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, and underscored the US readiness to impose "visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank."

"I have been emphatic with Israel's leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement about maintaining complete security control in the Gaza Strip had previously garnered criticism.

Israel launched airstrikes and later a ground incursion after an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has since killed more than 12,000 victims, women and children, flattened thousands of civilian structures, and enforced a full blockade leading to a shortage of supplies, including food, fuel and medicine.