“The prime minister must be able to say no to our friends.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had told the United States that he opposed the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a post-war scenario in Gaza.
“In any future agreement, Israel needs security control over the entire area west of the Jordan. This contradicts the idea of sovereignty. “What can we do about it?” Netanyahu asked in a press conference in which he said that Israel will continue the offensive in Gaza until a “decisive victory over Hamas” and therefore will only agree to an agreement that does allowing the Jewish state to gain security control over the entire Gaza Strip.
White House: “Nothing changes Biden’s position on two states”
“Nothing changes in President Biden's position that the two-state solution is the best solution not only in the interests of the Israelis, but also the Palestinians.” This is how John Kirby responds during a briefing with journalists on board the Air Force One on those who ask him for comment on Netanyahu's statements.
“It is in the best interests of the region and we will not stop working towards this goal,” the White House Security Council spokesman added, underscoring the differing positions with Netanyahu. “We believe that Palestinians have the right to live in peace in an independent state,” he said, emphasizing that the focus remains “on Israel having everything it needs to defend itself against Hamas .”
“But there will be a post-conflict Gaza, there will be no new occupation of Gaza,” he concluded, “we have made this clear, we want a government that represents the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
US State Department: “The Israeli security issue cannot be resolved without the creation of a Palestinian state”
“There is no way” to resolve the security issue of Israel and the region “without the establishment of a Palestinian state,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said during a news conference. “There is no way to solve the long-term challenges of ensuring lasting security, and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza, establishing governance in Gaza and ensuring security in Gaza without the creation of a Palestinian state “Miller was responding to Netanyahu, who said today he rejected the idea of a Palestinian state and would only agree to a deal that would allow Israel to gain security control over the entire Gaza Strip.
Arab media: “New US proposal for post-war plan”
Not just the Arab plan for a ceasefire in Gaza. The United States is reportedly seeking an agreement with Israel and Arab countries to allow the Palestinian Authority (PNA) to govern the Gaza Strip after the war with an initial “civilian” administration reinforced only by police. This was reported by Sky News Arabia, citing its sources, according to which the proposal includes “the training of the Palestinian security services, excluding the participation of Hamas and all armed organizations that oppose the two-state solution.”
As for guarantees for Israel's security, Washington is reportedly working on the presence of intermediate Arab and international forces “between the Gaza Strip and Israel, on the one hand, and between the Strip and the Egyptian borders, on the other,” the television channel claims. A Dubai-based Arab group points out that this proposal contradicts the position of the Israeli prime minister, who rejects any role for the PNA in Gaza's future.
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