Officials tell ToI that sides have been holding talks with aim of signing an MOU, which PA hopes will lead to reopening of DC diplomatic office shuttered in Trump’s first term, but US enthusiasm waning
| TOI | June 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump (left) meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during a summit to support ending the two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (YouTube screenshot)
The United States is in talks with the Palestinian Authority about boosting what has been a strained bilateral relationship, as Washington seeks Ramallah’s cooperation to advance its landmark policy initiatives in the region, three government officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.
US President Donald Trump’s administration is working to transfer billions of dollars in PA revenues currently withheld by Israel to the underfunded Board of Peace, which Washington established to actualize its 20-point plan for ending the war in Gaza and rebuilding the enclave. That plan envisions the PA taking over Gaza Strip governance after it has carried out comprehensive reforms.
A PA official told The Times of Israel that Saudi Arabia is helping Ramallah with the reform process, which Riyadh views as essential for establishing a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Trump administration has embraced the Saudi effort, viewing it as complementary to its bid to expand the Abraham Accords. Riyadh has expressed willingness to normalize relations with Israel if an “irreversible pathway” to a Palestinian state has been created, a US official said.
Against this backdrop, the US has been engaging in talks with the PA for several months, which Ramallah hopes will lead to the “normalization” of its strained relationship with the Trump administration, a Middle East intelligence official said, claiming that Washington has largely ignored the PA as it tends to view the Palestinian issue with a focus on Gaza, leaving the West Bank as more of an afterthought.
Under discussion has been a memorandum of understanding in which the sides recommit to Trump’s 20-point plan, particularly the last two points embracing Palestinian self-determination and the launching of US-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, once the redevelopment of Gaza and the reform of the PA have moved ahead.
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