Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel should not reoccupy Gaza, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel would assume responsibility for Gaza’s security “for an indefinite period.” Blinken told reporters that “Gaza cannot continue to be run by Hamas” but that “it’s also clear that Israel cannot occupy Gaza.” Blinken left open the possibility of a “transition period” after the war, adding it is “imperative that the Palestinian people be central to the governance of Gaza and the West Bank.” He spoke in Tokyo, where the Group of Seven nations backed the U.S. push for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s assault on Gaza, while stopping short of calling for a cease-fire. Netanyahu’s recent comments raised red flags for the Biden administration, which opposes an open-ended Israeli occupation of Gaza, U.S. officials said on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal discussions.
