 "Hamas has replaced all terrorists killed by Israel in Gaza with new recruits, says Blinken")
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Hamas has replaced all terrorists killed by Israel with new recruits.
Blinken said that Hamas cannot be defeated just on the battlefield and a political solution is required to properly beat Hamas in Gaza.
Blinken’s remarks come at a time when Israel and Hamas are said to be on the brink of a deal for ceasefire in Gaza and release of hostages held by terrorists. While officials have not given a timeline, the deal is said to be signed by the end of the week before Donald Trump takes over as the President of the United States on January 20. The deal comes after more than a year of indirect talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar and facilitated by the United States.
In a speech at Atlantic Council in Washington DC, Blinken also highlighted the importance of working out a plan for the post-war governance of Gaza.
Blinken’s speech comes in the last week of the Joe Biden administration. While Blinken and President Biden have called for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to be in charge of the post-war Gaza, whether President-elect Donald Trump takes a similar stand remains to be seen.
‘Hamas regroups & reemerges each time Israel withdraws’
Blinken said that Hamas has regrouped and reemerged in parts of Gaza every time Israel has withdrawn as there is no mechanism to either police the areas or govern them. He said that the void ensures Hamas keeps replenishing its ranks.
The situation is such that Hamas has replaced all terrorists killed by Israel with new recruits, said Blinken.
“Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back, Hamas militants regroup and reemerge because there’s nothing else to fill the void. Indeed, we assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war,” said Blinken.
Highlighting the reality that the defeat of Hamas cannot be achieved simply by winning on the battlefield and instead requires a political solution, Blinken said that a “clear alternative, a post-conflict plan and a credible political horizon for the Palestinians” is a must for peace to last for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBlinken said, “We have long made the point to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone – that without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan and a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, Hamas, or something just as abhorrent and dangerous, will grow back. That’s exactly what’s happened in northern Gaza since October 7th.”
The remarks about Hamas replenishing its ranks is in line with reports that Hamas has been rebuilding itself at several places in Gaza. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, has become the de facto leader of the terrorist group in Gaza and is rebuilding the group as an insurgent force.
The newspaper reported Israeli officials as saying that around 17,000 of 30,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed in the war and thousands have been arrested.
Blinken went on to say that Hamas has weaponised the suffering of the Palestinians and its usage of civilians as human shields.
“Israel faces uniquely challenging circumstances in Gaza: a civilian population trapped there with Hamas hiding in and under homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques. Indeed, Hamas has cynically weaponized the suffering of Palestinians. In a message that Yahya Sinwar –Hamas’ military leader at the time– sent to mediators, he called the death of Palestinian civilians, and I quote, “necessary sacrifices”, and said the more innocent Palestinians were killed, the more Hamas would benefit,” said Blinken.
Blinken outlines post-war plan for Gaza
Even though the question of post-war governance of Gaza would be addressed by the incoming Trump administration, Blinken outlined the stand of the Biden administration on the issue. He said that Hamas must not be part of post-war governance of Gaza.
Blinken went on to say that a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) supported by the international community and the United Nations (UN) should run Gaza after the war. He also said that Gaza and West Bank must be united under the rule of PA.
The PA is the de facto government of the Palestinians that partially runs West Bank. It is based in West Bank’s Ramallah. It was formed as a result of Oslo Accords (1993). Even though the PA is internationally-recognised administration of Palestinians, Gaza has been controlled and governed by Hamas since 2007.
Outlining the “core elements” of the Biden administration’s vision for post-war Gaza, Blinken said that the PA should invite international partners to establish and run an interim administration in Gaza that runs key civil sectors like banking, water, energy, health, etc. in coordination with Israel.
For the policing of Gaza, vetted Palestinian personnel and personnel of states participating in the process should be employed, said Blinken.
“An interim security mission would be made up of members of partner nation security forces and vetted Palestinian personnel. Its responsibilities would include creating a secure environment for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts and ensuring border security, which is crucial to preventing smuggling that could allow Hamas to rebuild its military capacity. We would stand up a new initiative to train, to equip, to vet a PA-led security force for Gaza – to focus on law and order and gradually take over for the interim security mission,” said Blinken.
Even as PA stands as the only internationally-recognised Palestinian administration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees the organisation with contempt and has often equated it with Hamas. He has spent years weakening the PA and has indicated at disapproval of its role in the governance of post-war Gaza. Moreover, the PA remains deeply corrupt and unpopular even among Palestinians. PA President Mahmoud Abbas has ruled without elections since 2004.
Blinken addressed at the many issues facing the PA, including the issue of PA providing stipend to Palestinian prisoners and terrorists. He said that the PA has “repeatedly failed to undertake long-overdue reforms, like reining in corruption and a bloated bureaucracy, further eroding its support among Palestinians”.
Blinken said that the PA will “need to carry out swift, far-reaching reform to build more transparent, accountable governance – continuing a process that it began last year”.
The PA and the countries in the region would need to acknowledge the legitimate threat of terrorism, including from Palestinian groups like Hamas, and Israel would need to acknowledge the reality they have to live with Palestinians in the same region, said Blinken.
“All must embrace a time-bound, conditions-based path toward forming an independent Palestinian state. These principles are mutually reinforcing. Time-bound because no one will believe or accept an endless process. Palestinians need and deserve a clear and near horizon for political self-determination. Conditions-based because while Palestinians have a right to self-determination, with that right comes responsibility. No one should expect Israel to accept a Palestinian state that is led by Hamas or other extremists; that’s militarised or has independent armed militia; that aligns with Iran or others who reject Israel’s right to exist; that educates and preaches rejectionism; or that, unreformed, becomes a failed state,” said Blinken.
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