On January 5, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant outlined plans for the next phase of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the US Secretary of State returned to the Middle East to find a solution to the conflict in the Gaza Strip and reduce tensions in the region.
Hard line
The plan outlined by Mr. Y. Gallant focuses on new targets in the north, continues to hunt down Hamas leaders in the south of the territory, and announces a plan for the administration of the Gaza Strip after the current conflict ends. Accordingly, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will manage the civilian affairs of the territory, while Israel maintains control of security.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Gallant affirmed: There will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the war's goals have been achieved. The residents of Gaza are Palestinians, so Palestinian agencies will administer the area on the condition that they are not hostile to Israel. According to the plan, the Israeli operation in Gaza will continue until the hostages taken by Hamas since October 7, 2023 are returned, Hamas' military and operational capabilities are eliminated, and all other military threats are eliminated. After that, a new phase will begin. Mr. Y. Gallant announced this plan to the press before submitting it to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet.
Earlier, the Israeli Government Press Office issued a statement outlining the goal of Israel's third phase of the Gaza military operation, which is to eliminate terrorist hotspots in the area. According to the statement, in the southern Gaza Strip, the operation will focus on efforts to eliminate the Hamas leadership and return hostages. The statement also stressed that the conflict will continue "as long as necessary."
Continue to find solutions
Also on January 5, the US State Department announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to a series of countries in the Middle East for 1 week to promote solutions to the conflict in the Gaza Strip and reduce regional tensions. This is Mr. A. Blinken's 4th trip to this region since the conflict between Hamas and Israel broke out on October 7, 2023.
According to the announcement, Mr. A. Blinken will visit Israel and the West Bank - where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered. He will also visit five Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He will leave the US on the evening of January 4 and visit Turkey first, then Greece. Mr. Blinken's trip takes place in the context of increasing concerns that the three-month conflict in Gaza will spread beyond this territory and spread to the West Bank, the Israel-Lebanon border and the Red Sea shipping route.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that during this trip, Secretary of State A. Blinken will propose specific steps that parties in the region can take to prevent the conflict from spreading. Mr. A. Blinken will also discuss immediate measures to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and release hostages being held by Hamas. Before the trip, Secretary of State A. Blinken had a phone call with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, in which the two sides agreed to reduce tensions in the West Bank and avoid escalating tensions in Lebanon and Iran.
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