US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas smile during their meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Feb 7, 2024. (POOL PHOTO VIA AP)

RAMALLAH/RIYADH - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday met with visiting US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the West Bank, discussing issues including Palestinian statehood and the developments in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas said peace and security could be achieved through the implementation of the two-state solution based on international legitimacy resolutions, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned of the consequences of any potential military operation by Israeli forces in Rafah city in the south of the strip to force Gaza residents to flee

During the meeting, Abbas affirmed the importance of accelerating the delivery of relief supplies, including medicine and food, and the provision of water, electricity, and fuel to Gaza. He meanwhile reiterated his rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian president also warned of the consequences of any potential military operation by Israeli forces in Rafah city in the south of the strip to force Gaza residents to flee, stressing Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state and that the "Israeli plans" to separate the enclave from Palestinian territory would not be accepted.

Abbas also highlighted the importance of the US recognition of the State of Palestine, urging US support for Palestine's full membership in the United Nations. 

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Separately, Saudi Arabia said it has told the US administration that the kingdom won't have diplomatic relations with Israel unless the latter stops its "aggressions" in the Gaza Strip and an independent Palestinian state is established.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry made the remarks in a statement on Wednesday refuting the White House's saying that both Israel and Saudi Arabia gave "positive feedback" on normalizing relations.

The ministry affirmed the kingdom's unwavering support for the Palestinian issue and the necessity that Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights.

There will be no diplomatic ties with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from Gaza, it noted.

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In an online press briefing on Tuesday, a day after Blinken visited Saudi Arabia, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US government had been engaging in discussions with Israel and Saudi Arabia on "normalization arrangement," before and after the current Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, 2023.

Kirby added, "Those discussions are ongoing as well," confirming "positive feedback from both sides that they're willing to continue to have those discussions."