Palestinian president Abbas open to peace talks with Trump

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration on Monday and said he was ready to work for peace with Israel based on a two-state solution.

“We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution,” Abbas said in a statement published by the official Wafa news agency.

Abbas said it would mean “the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side-by-side in security and peace, ensuring security and stability in our region and the world”.

In his first presidential term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump’s administration put together a peace proposal which would have involved Israel annexing much of the occupied West Bank while handing over some territory to a future Palestinian state in return.

Palestinians gather to celebrate in the streets of Rafah, Gaza Strip. Photo / AFP

The Palestinians strongly rejected the proposal, and Israel abandoned its annexation plans when Gulf Arab states normalised ties with it under US-brokered agreements.

Trump has taken credit for securing a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff taking part in negotiations that finally produced an agreement that came into effect on Sunday.

A two-state solution has been the basis for the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back decades, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to countenance an independent Palestinian state.

He has also rejected any role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which Abbas leads, in a post-war Gaza Strip.

On Friday, Abbas had said the PA was ready to assume “full responsibility” for Gaza.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II also congratulated Trump, saying: “We greatly value our partnership with the United States and are committed to working with you towards a more prosperous and peaceful world.”

-Agence France-Presse