Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement today from Tokyo, Japan saying that the reoccupation of Gaza or the forced displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable. In a separate press briefing with Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, it was again reiterated without any warnings or stipulations.
The position asserted today is a turn from previous standings that emphasized “no red lines” for Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip or the attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. In a first for the Biden administration, acknowledging that Gaza has been besieged for 16 years, Secretary Blinken said that any attempt to blockade or reduce territory in Gaza would be detrimental to lasting peace.
“A durable peace that the United States seeks cannot include an attempt to blockade or any reduction in territory in Gaza,” Secretary Antony Blinken said from Tokyo, Japan.
For advocates demanding the Biden administration adopt a more humanitarian position, this would appear to be a victory. State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel reiterated that a reoccupation is not something the United States is interested in along with no attempts to blockade or besiege Gaza. How the United States intends to enforce this is unclear.
Watch the Press Conference below:
