White House Cautioning Israel Against Reoccupying Gaza while Netanyahu Explores the Potential Transformation of the Strip Post-War
White House cautions Israel against Gaza reoccupation as Netanyahu hints at a potential future for the war-torn strip
The White House asserted on Tuesday that it opposes the idea of Israeli forces reoccupying Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that his country would assume "overall security responsibility" in Gaza for an unspecified duration after the conflict ends.
According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking on "CNN This Morning," President Biden maintains the belief that a reoccupation of Gaza by Israeli forces would be detrimental, both for Israel and its people.
Secretary Blinken has been discussing the future of Gaza and its governance in the aftermath of the conflict. The previous situation, which involved Hamas, cannot be allowed to persist. This statement follows Netanyahu's suggestion that Gaza should be governed by those who do not align with Hamas, and emphasizes the need for Israel to maintain security responsibilities in the region.
Netanyahu's recent statement indicates a contrasting perspective to that of the US, particularly President Joe Biden, regarding the future of Gaza after the war. In a previous interview with CBS "60 Minutes", Biden strongly emphasized the importance for Israel to refrain from occupying Gaza, terming it a "major error." Addressing this issue, Michael Herzog, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, assured CNN's Jake Tapper that Israel has no intentions of occupying Gaza once the conflict concludes.
In recent weeks, there have been noticeable divergences between the US and Israel as the ongoing war persists. Last week, Blinken urged Israel for a "humanitarian pause" to facilitate the safe departure of hostages and civilians from Gaza, as well as the entry of aid for Palestinians. However, Netanyahu disregarded this plea.
Furthermore, despite Blinken's strong public statement emphasizing that "civilians should not bear the consequences for (Hamas') inhumanity and brutality," Israeli forces continued to target civilian locations following the visit of the senior US diplomat. The forces maintained that these sites were being utilized by Hamas.
The Israeli government has not provided any details on the future governance of Gaza if they manage to eliminate Hamas. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Tuesday that Israel would have the liberty to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip once the war concludes. Gallant added that Hamas, both as a military organization and as a governing body in Gaza, will no longer exist at the end of this campaign. Gallant's remarks were published on the Ynet news website.
"Israel will have no security threats from Gaza, maintaining full autonomy to respond to any threatening situations within the Gaza Strip," Gallant stated in the recorded meeting of Israel's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Ynet.
For weeks, the US and its western allies have been advising Israeli counterparts to establish clear goals in degrading Hamas and to steer clear of prolonged occupation in the Gaza Strip.
US officials had earlier informed CNN that they lacked a definite understanding of Israel's aims in Gaza and anticipate that it would be challenging to completely eradicate Hamas.
Amidst the evident discrepancies between his administration and the Israeli government, Biden reaffirmed his backing for Israel in a conversation with Netanyahu on Monday, as stated by Kirby.
The president emphasized to the prime minister that we will persist in supporting Israel, ensuring they have the necessary security assistance, as well as the tools, weapons, and capabilities to combat Hamas. This stance has remained constant since October 7 and will continue in the future, states Kirby.
CNN's Jennifer Hansler, Hagi Cohen-Boland, Stephanie Halasz, Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Oren Liebermann, Kareem El Damanhoury, and Mitchell McCluskey contributed to this report.
