Laying out Gaza ‘day after’ plan, Blinken says it will require Israel granting PA foothold in Strip

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

An anti-Israel protester is removed from the room as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)
An anti-Israel protester is removed from the room as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

Laying out his plan for the postwar management of Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he envisions the Palestinian Authority inviting international partners to help establish and run an interim administration responsible for running key civil sectors in Gaza such as banking, water, energy, health and civil coordination with Israel.

He says the international community would provide funding, technical support and oversight to this interim administration in Gaza, without elaborating on who exactly would be funding the enterprise.

He says the interim panel would be assembled through consultation with communities in Gaza and should include representatives from the Strip along with representatives from the PA.

The committee would work closely with a senior UN official appointed to oversee the international Gaza reconstruction effort. The temporary committee would be replaced by a reformed PA “as soon as it’s feasible.”

An interim security mission made up of troops from US-allied countries along with vetted Palestinian personnel. It would be in charge of securing humanitarian aid along with border security and smuggling prevention, Blinken says.

He reveals that some US allies have already expressed willingness to contribute security forces to the interim mission but that they have conditioned this support on Israel agreeing to allow the West Bank and Gaza to be reunited under a reformed PA as part of a pathway to a two-state solution — something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.

Blinken says that his plan also envisions the US establishing a new initiative to train, equip and vet a PA-led security force for Gaza, which would gradually take over the interim security mission.

These various frameworks for Gaza’s governance, reconstruction and security would be enshrined in a UN Security Council resolution.

Blinken’s speech was a subject of controversy within the Biden administration, with some arguing that it would be exploited by Netanyahu for political gain. Others maintained that it could even harm the hostage negotiations. Another US official told The Times of Israel that the decision to unveil the plan in this manner decreases the likelihood that it will be adopted by the incoming Trump administration, which largely wants to avoid continuing initiatives from the outgoing team.

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