President Joe Biden outlined a framework for Gaza’s postwar future in an op-ed article, including no renewed Israeli occupation, unified governance by “a revitalized Palestinian Authority” and an eventual reconstruction effort that includes interim security arrangements.
“To start, Gaza must never again be used as a platform for terrorism,” Biden said in the Washington Post on Saturday. “There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory.”
In a warning to Israel, he floated the threat of US visa bans on “extremists” who attack Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. At the same time, he signaled that a cease-fire isn’t on the table because it wouldn’t bring peace as long as “Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction.”
Biden linked the Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine’s fight to reverse Russia’s occupation as twin crises that require global US engagement while his calls for more military aid to both allies remain stalled in Congress.
As Israel pursues its military operation in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, US diplomats in the region are urging Arab and Israeli leaders to start planning for the aftermath. In an effort to avert broader regional conflict, US officials have signaled to Arab nations that they wouldn’t support renewed Israeli control of Gaza.
Read more: US Frustration With Israel Grows as Gaza Civilian Deaths Mount
In Washington, a temporary funding extension for the US government that Biden signed into law this week left out billions in emergency aid for Ukraine and Israel requested by the White House. Congress will be positioned to clash over whether to dish out foreign assistance to its allies overseas when budget deadlines hit early next year.
The Pentagon has quietly ramped up its pipeline of weapons to Israel over the past month, including laser-guided missiles and bunker-busting munitions. In the US, the war has caused tension on college campuses and triggered pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests.
