Blinken Emphasizes Key Elements for Diplomatic Efforts to Avert Future Crises

In order to prevent the Gaza crisis from recurring, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged for the immediate establishment of conditions for lasting peace and security, including the prohibition of forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the prevention of the use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism.

The US has further stressed the need to prevent the eruption of terrorist threats from the West Bank and to ensure the active involvement of the Palestinian people in post-crisis governance in Gaza. The IDF has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields and deliberately targeting Israeli citizens, emphasizing that everything Israel is doing in Gaza is to dismantle Hamas and prevent further attacks. Hamas, on the other hand, has vowed to continue to fight against Israel, claiming that the October 7 Gaza conflict was just the beginning and that there will be more.

Both the US and the IDF have called for a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing the need for a two-state solution with equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity, and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians.