2 state solution optional? Palestinians puzzled by US view

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - A Palestinian official says the goal of establishing a state of Palestine alongside Israel enjoys broad international support, expressing surprise at a Trump administration suggestion that a peace deal may not come in the form of a two-state solution.

Husam Zomlot, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, says the "two-state solution is not something we just came up with."

Zomlot spoke ahead of a White House meeting on Wednesday between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A White House official has said that it's up to Israelis and Palestinians to decide what peace will entail, and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal.

Zomlot says it's not clear if the comments signal a shift from long-standing U.S. policy of supporting a two-state deal.