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‘Palestinian-led’ Gaza should be unified with West Bank post war with Israel: US
- Outlining the United States’ expectations at the end of the Israeli war on Gaza to root out the Hamas militants, Anthony Blinken also said the post-war governance must include Palestinians
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday outlined Washington's expectations for the besieged coastal territory, Gaza, and said that it should be unified with the West Bank once the war is over. Outlining the United States’ expectations at the end of the Israeli war on Gaza to root out the Hamas militants, Anthony Blinken also said that the post-war governance must include Palestinians.
As the Israel-Hamas war enters its second month, Washington has begun discussing with Israeli and Arab leaders a future for the Gaza Strip without Hamas rule. Blinken said there may be a need for "some transition period" at the end of the conflict but there would be “no reoccupation of Gaza”.
Addressing a press conference in Tokyo, Anthony Blinken said, "No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We're very clear on no reoccupation, just as we're very clear on no displacement of the Palestinian population. And, as we've said before, we need to see and get to, in effect, unity of governance when it comes to Gaza and the West Bank, and ultimately to a Palestinian state.”
A few days ago, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that his country will "for an indefinite period" have security responsibility for the enclave after the war. Despite clarifying their non-occupying intentions in Gaza, Israel is yet to devise a strategy to ensure security without a military presence so that another attack like that of October 7 does not happen again.
Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza in 2005.
Even though Anthony Blinken has shared Washington’s expectations after the end of the war, the US has not shared how such an arrangement between Israel and the Palestinians could be reached. More so when Benjamin Netanyahu continues to bomb Gaza, killing thousands including hundreds of children, and driving Palestinians out of the territory to look for a safe place.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council told CNN, “We don’t have it all figured out right now. And I don’t know that it would be reasonable for us to think that we could, at this particular point, one month into the conflict. But we know that it has to be something different than what it was under Hamas.”
Palestinian officials said 10,569 people had been killed as of Wednesday, 40% of them children. Israel says 33 of its soldiers have been killed.
(With agency inputs)
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Business NewsNews‘Palestinian-led’ Gaza should be unified with West Bank post war with Israel: US
First Published:9 Nov 2023, 01:11 PM IST
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