Independent Diplomatic Channel for Palestine Disappears
Ambassador Huckabee's "Denial of Palestine" Statement Sparks Controversy
The Donald Trump administration in the United States officially closed the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA), which had served as a key diplomatic channel with Palestine under the State Department, on May 19.
A view of the Gaza Strip with smoke rising due to shelling by the Israeli military. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
The Guardian reported on this day that it had obtained an internal memo from the U.S. State Department regarding the closure. The OPA, located in Jerusalem, officially ceased operations as of May 16. The memo explicitly stated, "OPA will close as of May 16, 2025."
Earlier this month, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced during a briefing that the functions of the OPA would be integrated into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, but did not specify the date of closure.
During his first term in 2018, President Trump relocated the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and closed the separate Jerusalem consulate that had handled Palestinian affairs. Subsequently, the Biden administration reestablished the OPA in 2022 to directly address Palestinian issues. However, the recently reinstalled Trump administration has once again closed the office.
This decision has resulted in the elimination of an independent U.S. diplomatic channel for handling Palestinian affairs, following the 2023 Gaza Strip war that was triggered by a surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
The Guardian pointed out that with the closure of the OPA, Palestinian affairs will now be managed under Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The newspaper noted that Ambassador Huckabee has previously stated that "Palestine does not exist," raising concerns that relations with Palestine are likely to deteriorate.
This closure comes at a time when Israel is significantly expanding its military operations in the Gaza Strip, further heightening tensions in the Middle East.
On this day, health authorities in the Gaza Strip announced that 136 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinian deaths since the start of the war to 53,486.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Hamas is currently engaged in direct negotiations with the United States, demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
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