Blinken: Israel Will Not Be Able to Manage Gaza and There May Be a Transitional Period After the Conflict

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Israel will not be able to manage the Gaza Strip, but there may be a transitional period after the current conflict ends. Blinken told reporters after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Tokyo, "Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza. This simply paves the way for a repeat of what happened on October 7... It is also clear that Israel cannot occupy Gaza." He added, "Now, the truth is that there may be a need for some transitional period at the end of the conflict... We do not expect reoccupation, and what I have heard from Israeli leaders is that they do not intend to reoccupy Gaza."