The American administration requested clarifications from Israel regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that "Israel will continue to control the security of the Gaza Strip" after the war against Hamas - this was reported this morning (Sunday) here by Reshet Bet. According to the report, the US wants to know "what is meant, and what does 'security control' mean over time."
According to the report, the Biden administration contacted senior Israeli officials and asked to understand what Netanyahu meant by his statement. This is after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken already said last week that "Israel cannot control Gaza, and its captains have informed us that they do not intend to do so. Changes are necessary, but we do not believe in reconquest."
Blinken also argued that efforts should be made to "have a unified Palestinian government in Gaza and the West Bank. The US sees a need for a future settlement that will include the voices and aspirations of the Palestinian people, rule by a unified Palestinian leadership in Gaza and the West Bank, and an ongoing mechanism for reconstruction in Gaza." Despite the difficulty caused by the terrorist attack, the time to talk about the future is today and not after the war."
As you may recall, last night Netanyahu said in his statement to the media that "Gaza will be demilitarized. There will no longer be a threat from Gaza to the State of Israel. The IDF will continue to control security in the Gaza Strip to prevent terrorism. The massacre proved that wherever there is no security control, terrorism strikes. I will not agree to give up security control under any circumstances."
