US reaches out to Palestinian leaders many angrily reject

JERUSALEM (AP) — The U.S. and the international community are planning to engage with the Palestinians to revive peace efforts, after weeks of unrest and a devastating 11-day war in Gaza. But when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits on Tuesday, he will meet with unelected leaders who were sidelined by the protests and outmaneuvered by Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers. The Palestinian Authority is deeply unpopular and has no presence in Gaza, or even most of the occupied West Bank. However, it maintains close security ties with Israel and is seen as key to any two-state solution, even though there have been no substantive peace talks in more than a decade.