US President Joe Biden claims that “re-occupation by Israeli forces of Gaza is not the right thing to do,” according to a National Security Council spokesman.
The comments came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Israel would take control of security in the Gaza Strip after the war.
“Israel for indefinite period will have the overall security responsibility, because we have seen what happens when we don’t have it. When we don’t have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn’t imagine.”
Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif Al-Qanou categorically rejected the suggestion that Hamas should be ejected.
What [John] Kirby said about the future of Gaza after Hamas is a fantasy. Our people are symbiotic with the resistance, and only they will decide their future.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken just completed another tour across the Middle East, meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and indicating that the authority might be best suited to administer Gaza after the war. Many experts believe that a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians remains the best hope for lasting peace in the region.
The Israeli bombardment of the Strip has killed at least 10,328 people, including 4,237 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Both Israel and Hamas reject growing international pressure for a ceasefire. Israel claims Hamas must first release the hostages, whereas Hamas declares it will not release them and will not stop fighting as long as Gaza is being attacked.
A small amount of humanitarian aid came through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, but UN chief Antonio Guterres called it “a trickle” of aid against an “ocean” of need.
The crossing was closed over the weekend after Israeli forces blew up an ambulance heading towards the checkpoint.
