Gaza integral part of Palestinian state: Abbas

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Gaza was an "integral part" of the Palestinian state during talks with a top US official at his West Bank headquarters Friday, his office said.

The meeting came as Israel pressed its offensive in Gaza despite mounting international calls for restraint, with key backer the United States saying the war must not lead to a long-term Israeli occupation of the territory.

Abbas told visiting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that "Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine", his office said in a statement, adding that "the president underscored that separation or any attempt to isolate any part of it is unacceptable".

Abbas emphasized the urgent need to halt the ongoing Israeli aggression, particularly the genocide being carried out these days upon the Palestinian people in Gaza, the statement added.

He said it was crucial to "spare civilians from the woes and devastation caused by the Israeli war machine".