Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has reportedly rejected a US proposal for Egypt to take over security in the Gaza Strip after Hamas is defeated by Israel until the Palestinian Authority can be ready.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, citing senior Egyptian officials, Sisi and Egypt’s intelligence chief, Abbas Hamal, discussed the American proposal with CIA director William Burns in Cairo.
“Egypt’s president said his government will not play a role in eliminating Hamas as it needs the organization to help maintain security on the country’s border with the Gaza Strip,” the officials said.
Blinken: It is clear that Israel cannot impose an occupation on Gaza
Guardian analysis: Why Sisi won’t open Egypt’s borders to Gaza’s Palestinians
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with ABC broadcast on Monday, said Israel could take responsibility for security in the Gaza Strip “indefinitely”. “I think Israel will assume, indefinitely, overall responsibility for security [στον παλαιστινιακό θύλακ], as we saw what happens when we don’t have it. When we don’t have responsibility for security, we see the explosion of Hamas terrorism on a scale we could not imagine,” the Israeli prime minister said.
Blinken: The possibility of Israel playing a role in a “transitional period” in the Gaza Strip is open
The US rejected Netanyahu’s proposal and State Department head Anthony Blinken said on Wednesday that Israel should not impose an occupation on the Gaza Strip, but that there may be a transition period after the end of the conflict with Hamas.
“Gaza cannot continue to be ruled by Hamas. This calls for a repeat of October 7th… It is also clear that Israel cannot impose an occupation on Gaza. The reality on the ground is that there may be a transition period after the end of the conflict, but the need for the Palestinian people to play a central role in the governance of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is imperative. We are clear that there should be no new occupation, just as we are clear that there should be no displacement of the Palestinian population,” he underlined.
