Blinken Asserts US Rejection for Any Resettlement of the Gazans during Meetings with Israeli Officials

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a press conference during his visit to Tel Aviv, Israel as part of his Middle East tour.

Blinken talked about the miserable conditions that people in Gaza live right now, saying: "Time feels different for families in Gaza as well, hundreds of thousands of whom are experiencing acute food insecurity. For the mother or father trying to find something to feed a hungry child, the passage of another day without food is excruciating."

During his keynote, Blinken said that he discussed with the Israeli officials the return of the hostages captured in Gaza, and providing the civilians in Gaza protection, in addition to preventing the conflict from expanding in the region.

He said: "And it’s the reason we’re working urgently to forge a path toward lasting peace and security in this region."

On his trip in the Middle East, Blinken said: "On this trip, I came to Israel after meeting with the leaders of Türkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia. All of those leaders share our concern about the spread of the conflict. All of them are committed to using their influence, using the ties that they have to prevent it from escalating, to deter new fronts from opening."

He resumed: "In addition, all expressed grave concern about the dire humanitarian situation and the number of civilians killed in Gaza."

The US Secretary also pointed out that the amount of humanitarian aid to Gaza was increased after opening Kerem Shalom.

He highlighted: "As I underscored in our meetings today, more food, more water, more medicine, other essential goods need to get into Gaza. And then once they’re in Gaza, they need to get more effectively to the people who need them."

Blinken also re-introduced the US stress of the return of the Palestinians to their homes, and rejection of displacement or resettlement of the Palestinians outside Gaza.

He said: "I was also crystal clear: Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They must not be pressed to leave Gaza. As I told the prime minister, the United States unequivocally rejects any proposals advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza, and the prime minister reaffirmed to me today that this is not the policy of Israel’s government."

The US Secretary of State also reflected that he discussed with the Israeli officials to find a diplomatic way to prevent the regional tensions from escalating, especially with Lebanon.

He added: "We continue to discuss how to build a more durable peace and security for Israel within the region. As I told the prime minister, every partner that I met on this trip said that they’re ready to support a lasting solution that ends the long-running cycle of violence and ensures Israel’s security. But they underscored that this can only come through a regional approach that includes a pathway to a Palestinian state."

"To make this possible, Israel must be a partner to Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people in living side by side in peace with Israel and as neighbors. And Israel must be – must stop taking steps that undercut Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves effectively. Extremist settler violence carried out with impunity, settlement expansion, demolitions, evictions all make it harder, not easier, for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security.

The Palestinian Authority also has a responsibility to reform itself, to improve its governance – issues I plan to raise with President Abbas, among others, when we meet..."