Speaking to reporters after the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Gaza should not be used “as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks”, AFP reports.
At the same time, Blinken laid out the United States’ clearest boundaries on the crises since October 7, telling Israel Washington believes there should be “no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza — not now, not after the war”.
He also said: “No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza.”
His comments appeared to indicate that American officials may be growing more concerned over Israel’s conduct of the crisis — even as Washington denies that it is seeking to influence its ally on its conduct.
It will also be necessary to “include the Palestinian people’s voices and aspirations at the centre of post-crisis governance in Gaza” after the war, and see the territory “unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority”, Blinken said.