Blinken urges Palestinian Authority to show it’s ready to govern Gaza after war

Amna Nawaz:

The Biden administration has spent this day pressing the Palestinian Authority to reform itself and show it's ready to govern Gaza after the war. Secretary of State Antony Blinken carried that message to the authority's President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank.

William Brangham reports.

William Brangham:

The meeting between Blinken and Abbas was ostensibly about what happens in Gaza once Israel's war on Hamas is over.

But, behind the scenes, there was also talk of how the elderly president can regain the legitimacy his government needs to lead a possible unified Palestinian state. Right now, the Palestinian Authority governs parts of the West Bank, but it's widely distrusted and seen as ineffective by many Palestinians.

In one sign of that distrust, protesters clashed with police in the West Bank city of Ramallah, condemning Abbas for even welcoming Blinken's visit.

Jamal Juma, Palestinian Activist:

It's a shame to receive a Blinken, who's one of the organizers of the genocide in Gaza Strip. He should leave immediately. He should kick him out.

William Brangham:

Secretary Blinken on a stop in Bahrain expressed optimism that the Palestinian Authority could reform.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: I don't want to speak for President Abbas, but I think what I take away from this meeting is that he is committed to that and is very much prepared to move forward.

William Brangham:

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu explicitly said, once Hamas is defeated, Israel wants out of Gaza.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister:

Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population.

William Brangham:

In Gaza, this was once the main highway connecting the central part of the strip to the south, the Salah al-Din Road. Residents say Israeli troops left this trail of devastation.

In Deir al Balah in Central Gaza, this building produced eggs that fed people throughout the strip. Now it's rubble. Dozens of people are believed to have been killed in the blast and even more trapped under the debris.

Mahmoud, Relative of Deceased (through interpreter): Some people were calling out for help and telling us: "We're still here. Come get us."

Here they are. The bodies are still here, and we can't get them out because of a lack of resources.

William Brangham:

Tamer Mohammed is still looking for his loved ones. He hopes to find any remnant of them so he can bury them with dignity.

Tamer Mohammed, Relative of Deceased (through interpreter): We took out five martyrs that were just limbs and body parts. I grabbed my uncle, and only half of him came out. His other half is still under the rubble.

William Brangham:

In the south, which Israel indicated would be the safest place for Gazans to evacuate to, families pick up the pieces after another night of bombardment. One of the latest Israeli airstrikes in the south pounded this residential building on the outskirts of Rafah.

Hareb Nawfal is in shock as they count just how many of his loved ones died in the attack. He said there was no advanced warning before the crowded building was struck. His is a pain all too common.

Hareb Nawfal, Relative of Deceased (through interpreter): This is a massacre, a building of five floors, 14 houses full of children and women full of men and newborns too. Who should we complain to? Where is the cease-fire? They are lying. They are criminals.

William Brangham:

As international negotiations continue elsewhere, here in Gaza, each day brings more tears, more grief, more death.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm William Brangham.