U.S. State Department: Gaza Needs Post-War Transition, No Place for Hamas

“The people of Palestine need to be at the center of governance in Gaza and the West Bank.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on May 8 (local time), “Hamas cannot run Gaza. It’s also clear that Israel cannot occupy it,” adding that “the reality is that there might be a need for some transition period after the war.”

According to the U.S. State Department, Secretary Blinken, after attending a press conference following the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Japan, said, “Several things are clearly needed regarding governance after the conflict in Gaza.”

He expressed concerns that if Hamas regains control of Gaza, the region could once again become a starting point for terrorist attacks, as it was on October 7. He also stressed, “From what I’ve heard from Israeli leaders, they have no intention of reoccupying or regaining control of Gaza. The center of governance should be the Palestinian people.”

He added, “The only question is whether there is a need for a transition period and what mechanism is needed to secure security,” and “we must reach a unified governance for the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and ultimately the Palestinian state.”

On this day, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed his opposition to an immediate ceasefire, stating, “We all want to end the war as soon as possible and minimize civilian suffering until then.” He emphasized that “the only way to prevent such crises from recurring is to create conditions for lasting peace and security and to start diplomatic efforts with this in mind.”

He also mentioned several critical principles related to the so-called post-Hamas concept: not to forcibly relocate the Palestinians of Gaza, not to use Gaza as a base for terrorism, not to reoccupy post-war Gaza, not to attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza, not to reduce the territory of Gaza, and to prevent terrorist activities from occurring in the West Bank.

In response to a question about the upcoming meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Secretary Blinken said, “We are promoting a constructive meeting between the leaders,” adding, “Both sides recognize the importance of the leader-level channel in managing bilateral relations. Both the U.S. and China agree that they are responsible for managing relations responsibly.” Regarding the visit of Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the U.S., he said, “We had a detailed and constructive dialogue not only on potential areas of cooperation but also on areas of disagreement.” He added that the specific agenda for the U.S.-China summit has not yet been confirmed.

In response to concerns that the U.S.’s diplomatic priority for the Indo-Pacific region could decline as it responds to three fronts in the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine, and the Middle East, he said, “The Indo-Pacific is an important region for our future,” and “We will show our focused interest in the Indo-Pacific at the APEC meeting throughout next week.” After Japan, Secretary Blinken will hold a U.S.-South Korea foreign ministers’ meeting with Foreign Minister Park Jin in South Korea on the 9th.

At the press conference in Tokyo, local reporters also asked questions about Blinken’s evaluation of the seafood from Fukushima he had for lunch earlier and whether Fukushima seafood will be served during the APEC period.

By. Cho Seul Ki