Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas meets with US Speaker Pelosi in Ramallah

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday, in a rare visit by a high-ranking Washington official to the occupied West Bank.

Pelosi and the accompanying delegation were hosted by Abbas at the Ramallah presidential headquarters, state media said.

During the meeting, Abbas urged US action on what he described as "unilateral Israeli practices" that undermine a two-state solution.

Abbas stated "the importance of ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine, halting all illegal Israeli settlement activities, curbing settler violence, respecting the status quo in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and putting an end to Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem," Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Pelosi declared her commitment to achieving peace based on the two-state solution, and the need for all parties to "cooperate jointly" to move forward in achieving security, stability and peace in the region, WAFA said.

Thursday’s sit-down marked one of Abbas’ most high-level meetings with a US official in recent years.

Relations between Palestine and the US deteriorated during former President Donald Trump’s administration, following his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s "undivided capital".

President Joe Biden’s administration has reached out to the Palestinian leadership on multiple occasions since he took office in January last year.

Biden has vowed to re-open a US consulate for Palestine in Jerusalem ordered shut by Trump in 2018. Senior Israeli officials have voiced strong opposition to the re-opening of the consulate.

Pelosi spoke at the Israeli Knesset on Wednesday, where she vowed "iron-clad" support for Israel's security.