Kerry to visit Mideast to discuss Syria, Israeli-Palestinian violence

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State John Kerry is to pay a visit to the Middle East for discussions on Syria and the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence starting from Sunday, the State Department said Saturday.

The first stop of the Nov. 22-24 tour will be Abu Dhabi, where Kerry will meet with senior government officials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) "to discuss a range of bilateral and regional political and security issues, with a focus on Syria," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

The UAE is part of the US-led coalition that is conducting airstrikes against the terror group Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The group is responsible for launching the recent terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured over 350 others.

Then Kerry will visit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as Ramallah on the West Bank.

Kerry is to discuss with Israeli officials bilateral and regional security issues, including Syria.

He will also continue discussions with both Israeli and Palestinian officials "on stopping the violence in Israel, Jerusalem and the West Bank, and improving conditions on the ground," the statement said.

Four Israelis were wounded in a stabbing attack in a southern Israeli town on Saturday in the latest incident in a new wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

So far 86 Palestinians and 17 Israelis have died in the wave of violence that erupted since early October amid rumors that Israel was attempting to change the religious status quo at the holy site in Jerusalem, which houses the sacred al-Aqsa mosque. The unrest quickly spread throughout Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.