United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said Israel “cannot occupy” Gaza “not now, not after the war.”
According to ABC News, the top U.S. diplomat added that a transition period may be necessary when the bombings and shooting stop in Gaza.
Blinken said in Tokyo, where he’s attending G7 meetings: “I think we’ve been very clear from day one that when it comes to post-conflict governance in Gaza, a few things are clear and necessary.
“One, Gaza cannot continue to be run by Hamas. That simply invites a repetition of Oct. 7, and Gaza used as a place from which to launch terrorist attacks. It’s also clear that Israel cannot occupy Gaza.”
Blinken said G7 members stood united on the globe’s major crises. The group’s “first focus was the crisis in the Middle East.” The group’s joint communique called for “humanitarian pauses,” short of a cease-fire.
“We all agreed that humanitarian pauses would advance key objectives to protect Palestinian civilians, to increase the sustained flow of humanitarian assistance, to allow our citizens and foreign nationals to exit, and to facilitate the release of hostages,” Blinken said
