US Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented his administration’s long-awaited plans for post-war Gaza, stressing the need to prevent a power vacuum in the besieged enclave. The plans, which will be handed over to the incoming Trump team, aim to establish an interim administration to oversee security, governance, and reconstruction.
Blinken emphasized that the international community cannot afford to wait until a ceasefire to have such plans. He proposed inviting international partners to help establish and run an interim administration with responsibility for key civil sectors in Gaza, including banking, water, energy, health, and civil coordination with Israel.
The interim administration would include Palestinians from Gaza and members of the PA, with complete responsibility handed over to a fully reformed PA administration as soon as feasible. A senior UN official would oversee international stabilization and recovery efforts. An interim security mission composed of partner nation security forces and vetted Palestinian personnel would be established to create a secure environment for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.
Blinken also raised the prospect of the Israel-Saudi normalization deal as an opportunity to achieve Israel’s greater integration in the region, which could incentivize parties to make tough decisions necessary to fully realize the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians. However, he noted that up to this point, Israeli officials have failed to make difficult decisions or acted in ways that put a deal and long-term peace further from reach.
The US has stressed to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone; without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan, and a credible political rise for the Palestinians, Hamas will grow back. Blinken warned that the current situation in northern Gaza, where Hamas militants regroup and re-emerge due to a lack of alternatives, is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war.
The proposed plans are time-bound and conditions-based, aiming to achieve a unified Palestinian state with the PA leading it. However, the path forward remains uncertain, and the international community must be prepared to make tough decisions to ensure a lasting peace in the region.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/politics/antony-blinken-post-war-gaza-plans/index.html