Israel has no intention of controlling Gaza Strip
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (photo: Getty Images)
Israel has absolutely no intention of controlling the Gaza Strip. Israel cannot tolerate a situation where its people are constantly under the threat of terrorist attacks, states Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"I think we know two things. We can't go back to the status quo. They can't go back to the status quo where Hamas is in a position to control Gaza and do what it did," he said.
Blinken emphasized that Israel has no desire to control the Gaza Strip.
"As I heard from Israelis, they have absolutely no intentions, no desire to themselves be in charge of Gaza. They left Gaza unilaterally, completely, some decades ago. But they can't be in a position where they are constantly under the threat of the most horrific terrorist attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip," he added.
According to him, it's necessary to find guarantees that would prevent HAMAS from launching attacks on Israel.
"So, what has to happen is something that gives us confidence that Hamas can't do this again. But it also doesn't take us back to Israeli governance of Gaza, which they don't want to do and aren't going to do. There are different ideas about what might come next, but all of it, in my judgment, requires work, and work even now as Israel is dealing with the current threat," Blinken added.
War in Israel
On October 7, HAMAS militants invaded Israeli territory, leading to Israel's launch of an operation against HAMAS. The next stage of this operation could potentially involve a ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
Across the United States, Europe, and other countries worldwide, there have been protests and actions in support of the Palestinian people. These demonstrations often result in clashes and arrests.
For a more detailed overview of the situation in Israel and around the world since the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, you can read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
