Abbas stresses importance of Palestinian-US ties following Biden snub

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday stressed the importance of relations with Washington after being reportedly snubbed by US President Joe Biden last month.

Abbas's comments came during a meeting with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Palestinian-Israeli Affairs, Hady Amr, who he met in Ramallah.

He told Amr that his speech at the UN General Assembly last month - where he gave Israel one year to withdraw from the occupied West Bank - expressed a readiness to engage in peace.

"The current situation cannot be accepted nor can it continue," Abbas said.

He also urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop violence against Palestinians, halt settlement building in the occupied West Bank, and end its annexation of Palestinian territories.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. However, Israel continues to construct them

Israeli media reported last month that Biden rejected Abbas's offer to meet in New York during the UN General Assembly, describing this as "very exceptional".

Biden has previously stated that he wants to mend ties with the Palestinians, which took a hit during the tenure of his predecessor Donald Trump.