The governance of Gaza the day after the war and the potential for a hostage deal were among the topics raised during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
“The two sides discussed the issue of the governing framework in Gaza on the day after the war,” the Prime Minister’s Office said after the meeting, which it described as “friendly” and “productive.”
The United States and Israel have been at odds over day-after plans for Gaza, although they both agreed that Hamas would not be allowed to rule the enclave of some 2.2 million Palestinians.
The US wants to see a reformed Palestinian Authority govern Gaza as part of a pathway to a two-state resolution to the conflict.
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that “we want to see governance in Gaza that is unified with the West under what we hope is a revitalized Palestinian Authority.” In addition, he said, “There can be no long-term displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. We don’t want to see territorial reduction in Gaza,” he stated.
“What we want to see are affirmative elements that will get us to a sustained peace. And that, in our view, needs to include the Palestinian people’s voices” and “their aspirations,” he explained.
“That needs to be at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza,” he said.
Netanyahu has yet to lay down clear plans for the day after in Gaza or even markers that would determine the end of the war, except to say that Hamas must be destroyed. He has also spoken of local Gaza governance that does not include the Palestinian Authority, even a reformed Palestinian Authority.
No to a Palestinian state
Netanyahu’s government has also opposed the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank.
The State Department said that Blinken spoke with Netanyahu about “the importance of charting a new path forward in the post-conflict period that allows Palestinians to rebuild their lives and provides governance, security, and reconstruction for Gaza.”
Blinken arrived in Israel less than a week after the IDF assassinated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in a push to renew the dormant Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
“The Secretary underscored the need to capitalize on Israel’s successful action to bring Yahya Sinwar to justice by securing the release of all hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza in a way that provides lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the State Department said.
Israel has already begun discussions about new options for a hostage deal, while the United States has assumed it would be resuming talks toward the three-phase deal that was first put on the table in May. No formal resumption of talks has begun, however.
Blinken also arrives at a time of tension between Israel and the Biden administration over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The US, earlier this month, warned Israel it would constrain military aid unless the situation improved.
“The Secretary emphasized the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza and ensure that assistance reaches civilians throughout Gaza,” the State Department said.
Patel stated, “The Secretary stressed and reiterated with the Prime Minister earlier today that we want to continue to see progress made.”
“We are continuing to press Israel that there is a responsibility to maximize and streamline the existing crossings and open more crossings for more examples of aid into Gaza,” Patel said.
The IDF and the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said on Tuesday that as of last week, “237 trucks containing humanitarian aid, including food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment from Jordan and the international community, were transferred to the northern Gaza Strip via the Allenby Bridge and the Port of Ashdod.”
“The IDF, via COGAT, will continue to act in accordance with international law to facilitate and ease the humanitarian response to the Gaza Strip,” the military and COGAT stated.