Blinken says permanent occupation of Gaza 'profoundly not in Israel’s interest'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed back Thursday on statements from Israeli leaders that their occupation of the Gaza Strip will remain open-ended.

Blinken said it is "in Israel's interest to find a way to take an off-ramp in Gaza," because Israel has achieved two of its stated goals in the besieged coastal enclave.

"One was to dismantle the military organization of Hamas. They've succeeded in doing that. The other was to get the leaders responsible for Oct. 7. They've done that. Having done that, this is a moment to take that off-ramp, but you've got to get the hostages back," he said in an interview with MSNBC.

"The alternative is this: an enduring Israeli occupation of Gaza, which we reject. And we reject it, among other reasons, because it's profoundly not in Israel's interest. They'd be left holding the bag on what would be a long-term insurgency," he added.

Blinken said for all of the Hamas fighters who have been "taken off the battlefield" in Gaza "there are thousands more," saying they "have the capacity not to do another Oct. 7 but to make life a living hell for any occupying force in Gaza."

"It's not in Israel's interest to do that," he said. "But in order for this to work, we have to have an agreement on the hostages and we have to have an agreement on what follows, a day-after plan, a post-conflict plan."

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel wants to maintain security control over Gaza, including freedom of movement there, indefinitely.

"After we defeat Hamas' military and governmental power in Gaza, Israel will have security control over Gaza with full freedom of action," he wrote on X.

Israel has systematically targeted civilian facilities, including schools, hospitals and places of worship, in its offensive on Gaza, repeatedly claiming, often without evidence, that they were striking Hamas targets. Under the rules of war, targeting civilian facilities can constitute a war crime.

Israel's war on Gaza has led to the deaths of more than 45,100 people following a Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack on southern Israel. The UN estimates that 70% of the dead in Gaza have been women and children.

About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack, and 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages. Roughly 100 remain.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.