The United States said on Tuesday that it opposes any “reoccupation” of Gaza by Israel after the Israeli leader suggested that his country would take control of security in Gaza after its conflict against Hamas recedes.
During a press briefing on Nov. 7, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the United States does not support “any forced relocation” of Palestinian people outside of war-torn Gaza.
“Our viewpoint is that Palestinians must be at the forefront of these decisions, and Gaza is Palestinian land and it will remain Palestinian land,” Mr. Patel told reporters.
“And generally speaking, we do not support reoccupation of Gaza, and neither does Israel. [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] was fairly clear about that during his travels as well,” he added.
Mr. Patel said that Washington, however, agreed with Israel that “there is no returning to the Oct. 6 status quo”—before Hamas launched terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, killing over 1,400 people and taking more than 200 others hostage.
“Israel and the region must be secure, and Gaza ... can no longer be a base from which to launch terror attacks against the people of Israel or anyone else,” he stated.
Mr. Patel added that the Biden administration is actively working with partners “on interim governance, security parameters, and security situations in Gaza” for when the Israel-Hamas conflict recedes.
Mr. Netanyahu believes that Gaza should be governed only by “those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas,” and such a government won’t be able to stand without the backing of Israeli firepower, he said.
“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,” the Israeli leader added.
In 2005, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the full withdrawal of military forces and settlers from Gaza, putting a formal end to settlements that started after Israel gained control of the region from Egypt as the result of the Six-Day War in 1967. The process involved Israeli troops bulldozing homes and forcefully evicting thousands of Jews, whose mere presence in Gaza had prompted intense riots, attacks, and suicide bombings.
‘Big Mistake’ to Reoccupy Gaza
President Joe Biden has said that any reoccupation of Gaza by Israel would be “a big mistake.” Although he believes that Israeli forces “going in” and “taking out the extremists” is a “necessary requirement.”
Israel launched an air and ground offensive against Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack. Israeli bombardment has killed at least 10,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
President Biden had discussed with Mr. Netanyahu the potential of “tactical pauses” to provide civilians time to depart the war zone. The Israeli leader told ABC News on Nov. 6 that there would be no ceasefire without the release of hostages but that he would consider short pauses.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog by phone on Nov. 7 and reiterated her support for Israel’s right to defend its citizens and combat terrorism, according to the State Department.
During their talks, Ms. Harris raised the need to ensure stability in the West Bank and “hold extremist settlers accountable for violent acts.” She also emphasized the need to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
“Beyond the current conflict, the Vice President underscored the importance of setting conditions now for a durable and sustainable peace and security with equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians,” the State Department said.
