Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday. His goal was to reassure Abbas that the Biden administration is doing everything it can to limit civilian casualties as Israel continues to bomb the Gaza Strip. It is Washington’s hope that after Israel destroys Hamas—the terrorist group in charge of Gaza, and the perpetrator of the October 7 massacre that left 1,400 Israelis dead—Abbas and the Palestinian Authority could take over as the official government.

Abbas, however, has called for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict—a course of action that Jordan, Egypt, and many others in the international community have been demanding. President Joe Biden has not embraced a full ceasefire, instead preferring a “humanitarian pause” so that much needed aid can reach the people of the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no ceasefire until and unless Hamas releases all its hostages.

Indeed, Israel ramped up its attacks over the weekend. The Palestinians against lost internet and other communication services as Israeli forces initiated another round of intense bombings in northwest Gaza aimed at killing senior Hamas leaders. Some areas of Gaza had internet restored on Monday morning.