Blinken Warns Israel: Victory in Gaza War Requires a ‘Day-After’ Plan
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that “Israel’s continued refusal to present a workable plan for managing the Gaza Strip after the war will lead to endless war in the Strip.”
Blinken said at a press conference in Moldova: “Without a plan for the next day, there will be no next day.” He continued, “Israel must adopt such a plan as soon as possible,” warning that in its absence, “Israel will completely occupy Gaza.” And you face a permanent rebellion, or Hamas will remain in power, which is unacceptable. The lack of governance will first be filled with chaos and anarchy, and then Hamas or other jihadist groups will regain control.”
Blinken stressed, “It is necessary to develop a plan to help ensure the permanent defeat of Hamas – which is a common goal and should be everyone’s goal.” He added: “A plan that takes into account security in Gaza, takes into account governance in Gaza, and takes into account rebuilding the lives of Gazans.”
The Foreign Minister said that “without a plan for the next day, gradual advances against Hamas – such as the strike last weekend that targeted only two senior leaders – must be in question,” and continued, “after Israel succeeded in destroying Hamas’ ability to replicate The events of October 7, it must ask itself whether additional gains against Hamas – gains that may not be sustainable – in the absence of a plan for the next day, can be compared with some unintended consequences.” He added, “This is about military action in a place where “The people you target are closely aligned with civilians.”
Blinken reiterated Washington’s horror at the attack launched by the Israeli army last Sunday night, which led to the killing of dozens of Palestinian civilian refugees in Rafah. He said, “The United States expects Israel to conduct a rapid and comprehensive investigation before issuing a more in-depth ruling.” He continued, “We also see that even “Limited, targeted attacks designed to combat terrorists who kill innocent civilians can have serious unintended consequences.
He said: “We were very clear with Israel about the need – in this case as in other cases – to immediately investigate and determine exactly what happened and why it happened, and whether accountability is necessary to ensure that there is accountability.” He indicated that he could not verify a report about the use of American weapons in the attack.
The US has again issued a stern warning to Israel over its lack of a post-war strategy for Gaza, raising questions about how the territory will be managed and stabilised.
Speaking at a news conference in the Moldovan capita,l Chisinau on Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blanken said it was “essential” for Israel to create a plan to ensure the defeat of Hamas and restore security and order in Gaza.
He said that ‘Israel’ will not have a single day if there is no plan for the post-war day. Blanken said the Israeli military had achieved “real success” in trying to destroy Hamas’ military capability but warned that Israel should not be directly responsible for Gaza’s future.
The absence of a post-war plan, he said, would leave Hamas in charge, which is unacceptable, or if not, we will have chaos, lawlessness and a vacuum that will eventually be filled by Hamas again and perhaps Something impossible to imagine.
