The US State Department announced on Tuesday the closure of the Palestinian Affairs Office and its merger with its embassy in Israel, a move that signals an impending decline in US relations with the Palestinians.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated in her press conference on Tuesday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to end the independent Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) and make it an office subordinate to the embassy.

Bruce added that the decision "does not reflect any communication or commitment to engage with the residents of the West Bank or Gaza."

Speculation has been rife in US diplomatic circles in Washington since Trump took office on January 20th about the administration's intention to abolish any US office dealing specifically with the Palestinians. President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee agreed that this step would complement steps taken by Trump during his first presidential term (2017-2021), such as closing the US consulate in Jerusalem, closing the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington, and cutting off aid to UNRWA and even the Palestinian Authority.

The Trump administration is already moving toward eliminating the position of US Security Coordinator for the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Office of the US Security Coordinator is a little-known position, but it represents the most prominent hub of US defense cooperation with the Palestinian Authority's security services. The inclusion of the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) within the US Embassy in Israel signals a further decline in US recognition of the Palestinian Authority and the Trump administration's limited interest in establishing an independent Palestinian state.

American diplomats working in the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) enjoyed a degree of separation from the US diplomatic mission in Israel. They could send diplomatic cables or reports to Washington and other US embassies without the approval of senior US diplomats overseeing Israeli affairs.

This distinction will now disappear, and senior diplomats charged with covering Israeli affairs will oversee relations related to the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian issues.

Hans Wicksell, who headed the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA), resigned in March. The Trump administration did not fill his position. Lourdes Lamela, a veteran Foreign Service officer, was the top official in the office.

It's worth noting that for decades, the United States maintained its embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv and operated a consulate in Jerusalem that oversaw Palestinian affairs. This distinction stems from the United States' refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. However, the first Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital (December 6, 2017), in a blow to the Palestinians, and moved the US embassy there. The consulate was also closed, although diplomats continued to operate out of the 19th-century stone building.

It's worth noting that Trump's new ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is a staunch supporter of Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, repeatedly stating that "there really is no such thing as Palestine or a Palestinian."