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Palestinian leader blames US for lack of political solution to Middle East crisis

Mahmoud Abbas vowed to "prosecute war criminals in international courts"

CAIRO, November 11. /TASS/. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas laid the blame for the lack of a political solution to the Middle East conflict on the United States as he addressed an extraordinary joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the League of Arab States (LAS), currently discussing the situation in the Middle East and the Gaza Strip in Riyadh.

"America is responsible for the lack of a political solution [to the Middle East conflict]. <…> We will prosecute war criminals at international courts, and the United States will be held responsible for the failure to resolve [the crisis]," Abbas insisted.

The Palestinian president called on the United States to "work to end the Israeli occupation. Abbas pointed out that "Gaza is an integral part of the state of Palestine and a political solution must be comprehensive."

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 200 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.