(CNN) – The White House said Tuesday that it “does not believe that Israeli forces should reoccupy Gaza,” following statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his country will assume “overall security responsibility” in Gaza for an “indefinite period” period” after the end of the war.
“It’s not good for the Israeli people,” White House National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby told CNN this morning.
Kirby added: “The president (Joe Biden) still believes that the reoccupation of Gaza by Israeli forces is not a good thing, and that is not in Israel’s interests.”
He continued: “One of the conversations that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had in the region was: What does Gaza look like post-conflict? What does governance look like in Gaza?” He added: “Whatever the situation, it cannot be as it was on October 6 (before the attack). Hamas versus Israel) cannot be Hamas.”
The latest warning from the White House comes after Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday that Gaza should be governed by “those who do not want to continue on the path of Hamas” before adding: “I believe that Israel, for an indefinite period, will take overall responsibility for safety because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it.”
This was one of Netanyahu’s first hints about his post-war vision for Gaza, and indicates a diverging vision from that of the United States, including Biden’s statements on what the future of the Strip will look like.
(tagToTranslate)Middle East