US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said it would neither “make sense” nor be “right” for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip.
His comments come as Washington and Tel Aviv continue to differ on the future of Gaza’s governance.
Speaking at a press briefing in Tel Aviv on Friday, Sullivan said that Israel did not “have a long-term plan to occupy Gaza,” the Financial Times reports.
He also reportedly said that the US was having “intensive” discussions with Israel over the timeframe of the transition to a new Palestinian administration in Gaza.
"The question imposes itself once more: Is Israel killing its own hostages as part of the Hannibal Directive?"
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“We do not believe that it makes sense for Israel or is right for Israel to occupy Gaza, reoccupy Gaza over the long term, and . . . we would like to see ultimately that transition take place,” Sullivan said.
The report adds that Sullivan said that “at a basic level, we do believe that the PA needs to be revamped and revitalized, needs to be updated in terms of its method of governance, its representation of the Palestinian people.”
HAMAS: We reject any prisoner exchange negotiations with the Israeli occupation unless the aggression stops completely.
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Adding that “ultimately, it’s going to be up to the Palestinian people to work through their representation.”
Sullivan met with several senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was due to travel to the West Bank, to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israel has reportedly made it clear over the past two months, however, that it does not want to see any Palestinian governance structure in the Gaza Strip after the end of the current invasion.
(PC, MEMO)
