Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration on Monday and expressed his readiness to work towards 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. He emphasized that this 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.”
During Trump’s first presidential term from 2017 to 2021, his administration proposed a peace plan that involved Israel annexing much of the occupied West Bank while handing over some territory to a future Palestinian state in return. The Palestinians strongly rejected the proposal, and Israel abandoned its annexation plans when Gulf Arab states normalized 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 playing a key role in the negotiations that led to the agreement, which came into effect on Sunday.
A two-state solution has been the basis for peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians for decades. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to consider an independent Palestinian state and has rejected any role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which Abbas leads, in a post-war Gaza Strip.
On Friday, Abbas reiterated that the Palestinian Authority was ready to assume “full responsibility” for Gaza.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II also congratulated Trump, stating, “We greatly value our partnership with the United States and are committed to working with you towards a more prosperous and peaceful world.”