Blinken meets Palestinian President Abbas in West Bank

STORY: Blinken crossed Israeli checkpoints to reach the de facto Palestinian capital Ramallah, according to pool reporters who traveled with the U.S. top diplomat.

The visit came a day after talks on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet over Israel's war with Hamas, regional tensions and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Blinken would discuss with Abbas the PA's responsibility to reform itself and improve its governance, he said in a news conference on Tuesday evening, reflecting Washington's view that Abbas, 88, needs to overhaul the organization in preparation to govern a post-war Gaza.

The PA, which exercises limited self-rule in some areas of the occupied West Bank, remains the best hope for a unified Palestinian government of both Gaza and the West Bank.