The Biden administration is reportedly considering stationing troops in Gaza if and when Israel successfully eliminates Hamas.
That idea focuses specifically on leaving what Bloomberg calls a “multinational force that may involve American troops” in Gaza.
According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the idea is one of several that have been proposed for the future of the region.
“A second option would establish a peacekeeping force modeled after one overseeing a 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty, while a third would be to place Gaza under temporary United Nations supervision,” Bloomberg reported Wednesday.
No.
“The US and Israel are exploring options for the future of the Gaza Strip, including the possibility of a multinational force that could involve US troops if Israeli forces succeed in ousting Hamas, people familiar with the matter said.”https://t.co/pszqK1saEb
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) November 1, 2023
But the newspaper’s sources stressed that this is all very preliminary and things could change. Also, some unnamed Biden administration officials believe these ideas are too premature or highly unlikely.
However, while testifying before a Senate panel on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that the administration is definitely planning something.
“We cannot go back to the status quo with Hamas running Gaza. Nor can we have — and the Israelis are starting with this proposal themselves — Israel running or controlling Gaza. Between these banks there are a variety of possible permutations that we are now looking at a lot of close, just like other countries,” he said.
But on the other hand, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told Bloomberg on Tuesday evening that “sending US troops to Gaza as part of a peacekeeping force is not something that is being considered or is being discussed.”
What is clear is that something it will have to be done as Israel has made it known that Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip is no longer acceptable given the horrific terrorist attack they perpetrated on October 7th.
“We will fight and win”: Benjamin Netanyahu announces that the second phase of the war against Hamas has begun https://t.co/JGUVj5tm6v road @BIZPACRevision
— David Smithers (@DavidSmithers13) October 29, 2023
“Several options have been floated for the aftermath of Hamas. The prerequisite for all of them is that Hamas be destroyed. Once Hamas is destroyed, all the options being discussed are based on the premise that Gaza will be demilitarized.” said Israeli foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk.
In addition, Bloomberg points out that there is “little evidence” that the Palestinian Authority “would be willing or able to take over Gaza.”
That didn’t stop Blinken from saying Tuesday that a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority should take control of Gaza if Israel succeeds in defeating Hamas, he has reported. The Times of Israel.
“At some point, what would make the most sense would be for an effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority to have responsibility for governance and, ultimately, security for Gaza,” he said.
“Whether you can get there in one step is a big question we have to ask. And if you can’t, there are other temporary arrangements that can involve various countries in the region,” he says. “It can involve international agencies to help ensure both security and governance,” he added.
Antony Blinken will pitch the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank’s reviled, illegitimate subcontractor of occupation, to dominate the smoldering wasteland known as Gaza after Israel ends its genocidal war.
There is a zero percent chance that… pic.twitter.com/MeASzagBbg
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) November 1, 2023
Whatever the choice, the risks remain the same for President Joe Biden, his administration, and America as a whole.
“Biden believes that putting even a small contingent of U.S. troops in harm’s way could prove politically risky, according to a person familiar with his thinking, who added that the U.S. is not close to making that decision. Not yet it’s clear whether Arab states might be interested in participating,” according to Bloomberg.
“Ultimately, Biden and other U.S. officials say an end point that includes a sovereign Palestinian state is necessary, but exactly how to reach that outcome has barely figured in the discussions, whether public or private. And Israel says its military operation could last months and will create a buffer zone around Gaza,” the paper reports.
Part of the problem is that Israel’s current right-wing government is staunchly opposed to the Palestinians receiving a sovereign state.
Indeed, while running for re-election in 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a Palestinian state would never be created under his watch, as he reported at the time. Reuters.
That said, the “multinational force” idea seems to be the most popular.
“Public security and law enforcement could be led by a consortium of the five Arab states that have reached peace agreements with Israel: Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco,” the scholars wrote of the Washington Institute in an Oct. 17 note. .
“Only these Arab states would have Israel’s trust, which is essential for this effort to succeed,” they added.
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