The US Secretary of State said on Wednesday that Israel should not reoccupy the Gaza Strip at the end of the ongoing conflict with Hamas, following a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Tokyo.
“The only way to achieve lasting peace will be by not expelling the Palestinians in Gaza and not reoccupying the Strip. [de Gaza] and not carrying out the blockade or reducing territory,” Antony Blinken said at a news conference.
The United States had already expressed its opposition on Tuesday to a possible reoccupation of Palestinian territory, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the day before that his country would assume “overall responsibility for the security” of Gaza “indefinitely” .
“We have been very clear from day one: Gaza cannot be governed by Hamas, Israel cannot occupy Gaza and there can be no displacement of Palestinians,” Blinken said, adding that he had found “great unity” among the G7.
According to the US Secretary of State, it will also be necessary after the war to “place the voices and aspirations of the Palestinian people at the center of governance in Gaza” and to “unify” this territory with the West Bank under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
According to Blinken, a “sustainable mechanism for the reconstruction of Gaza” must also be created and it will be necessary to “find a way for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in their own space, under the same conditions of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity”.
Blinken emphasized the role of Japan – the country that currently holds the presidency and hosts the group’s two-day meeting, which ends today – especially for its efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza offer.
It was unclear whether there were any G7 members [Canadá, França, Alemanha, Itália, Japão, Estados Unidos e Reino Unido] would be able to achieve such unity in their deliberations on the conflict, given the different sensitivities among their members regarding the Israeli right to defend itself or the increase in civilian casualties in Gaza.
Blinken’s statements today came after G7 foreign ministers called for a humanitarian pause in Gaza to facilitate the creation of a secure corridor that would allow the immediate access of aid.
The G7 ministers also called for avoiding the escalation and expansion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US Secretary of State also said that Ukrainians “can continue to count” on the United States, which will continue to fight to return their territory, realize their economic recovery and greater opportunities, in addition their path. to membership of the European Union (EU).
Source: DN
