US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday spoke at the G7 summit, detailing what the US would like to see happen on the day after the war with Hamas ends.
"Gaza cannot be continued to be run by Hamas," Blinken acknowledged, emphasizing that such a scenario "simply invites repetition of October 7," which Hamas has promised to carry out "again and again and again."
At the same time, he added, "It's also clear that Israel cannot occupy Gaza."
According to Blinken, "The only way to ensure this never happens again is to set the conditions for durable peace and security."
Blinken also listed "key elements" which the the US says is needed to create such a reality. Among these are, "no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, not now, not after the war. No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempts to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We must also ensure no terrorist threats emerge from the West Bank."
It should, however, include "Palestinian-led governance, Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority. And it must include a sustained mechanism for reconstruction in Gaza, and a pathway to Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side in states of their own."