Blinken says "deep concern" expressed in Israeli and Palestinian meetings | FULL

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says "deep concern" was expressed during meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials as he concluded a two-day visit to Jerusalem and West Bank on Tuesday.

"The horrific attacks in Jerusalem, the escalation of violence in the West Bank have underscored the significant challenges to security and stability that the region faces and that we face," Blinken said during a Tuesday news conference.

“Across my meetings with Israel's government, the Palestinian Authority, our partners in Cairo — I heard a deep concern about the current trajectory. But I also heard constructive ideas for practical steps that each side can take. To lower the temperature, foster cooperation, and bolster people's security," Blinken said.

Earlier in the day, Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his leadership, a day after calling for a halt to escalating violence and reaffirming Washington's backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict between the Israeli and the Palestinians.

Blinken appealed for calm on both sides, following last week's killings of seven people outside a synagogue by a Palestinian gunman, in the worst such attack in the Jerusalem area for years.

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