Blinken Lays Out Post-war Gaza Plan to Be Handed to Trump Team

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Blinken Lays Out Post-war Gaza Plan to Be Handed to Trump Team

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday laid out plans for the post-war management of Gaza, saying the outgoing Biden administration would hand over the roadmap to President-elect Donald Trump's team to pick up if a ceasefire deal is reached.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington in his final days as the US top diplomat, Blinken said Washington envisioned a reformed Palestinian Authority leading Gaza and inviting international partners to help establish and run an interim administration for the enclave.

A security force would be formed from forces from partner nations and vetted Palestinian personnel, Blinken said during his speech, which was repeatedly interrupted by protesters who accused him of supporting genocide by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denies.

He was speaking as negotiators met in Qatar hoping to finalize a plan to end the war in Gaza after 15 months of conflict that has upended the Middle East.

"For many months, we've been working intensely with our partners to develop a detailed post-conflict plan that would allow Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, prevent Hamas from filling back in, and provide for Gaza's governance, security and reconstruction," Blinken said.

Trump and his incoming team have not said whether they would implement the plan.

Blinken said a post-conflict plan and a "credible political horizon for Palestinians" was needed to ensure that Hamas does not re-emerge.

The United States had repeatedly warned Israel that Hamas could not be defeated by a military campaign alone, he said. "We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new fighters as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war."

PROTESTERS

Blinken's remarks were interrupted three times by protesters, who echoed accusations that the Biden administration was complicit in crimes committed by Israel in the war.

Blinken has denied Israel's actions amount to genocide and says he has pushed Israel to do more to protect civilians and to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel launched its assault after Hamas-led fighters stormed across its borders on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's aerial and ground campaign has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, drawing accusations of genocide in a World Court case brought by South Africa and of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the allegations.

The assault has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population and drawn the concern of the world’s main hunger monitor.

"You will forever be known as bloody Blinken, secretary of genocide," one protester shouted before being led out of the event.

Blinken remained calm, telling one heckler: "I respect your views. Please allow me to share mine," before resuming his remarks.

Blinken said US officials had debated "vigorously" the Biden administration's response to the war, a reference to a slew of resignations by officials in his State Department who have criticized the policy to continue providing arms and diplomatic cover to Israel.

Others felt Washington had held Israel back from inflicting greater damage on Iran and its proxies, he said.

"It is crucial to ask questions like these, which will be studied for years to come," he said. "I wish I could stand here today and tell you with certainty that we got every decision right. I cannot."



Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership

The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The fourth meeting of the Turkish-Iraqi High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara, August 2024 (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on an official visit to Baghdad on Sunday to hold discussions with senior Iraqi officials on bilateral ties and regional and international developments.

During this visit, his fourth to Iraq since assuming office in June 2023, Fidan will meet with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, as well as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and President Abdul Latif Rashid.

According to sources within the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agenda will cover key issues related to the growing relationship between the neighboring countries, which has seen significant progress over the past three years, alongside current regional developments.

Sources indicated that Fidan will emphasize his country’s commitment to further strengthening its ties with Iraq based on a positive agenda and an institutional framework. He will stress the activation of various cooperation mechanisms established during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq on April 22, 2024.

Fidan will also underscore Türkiye’s recognition of the importance of maintaining Iraq’s stability and security for the broader region, and its support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to counter the adverse effects of Israeli aggression and developments in Syria on Iraq’s stability.

Fidan is expected to advocate for constructive dialogue and neighborly relations between Baghdad and Syria’s new administration, emphasizing that such an approach would benefit both countries and the wider region.

The minister is also set to convey Türkiye’s expectations that Iraq officially designate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “terrorist organization” and take necessary steps to fully eliminate its presence within Iraqi territory.

On security and counterterrorism cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad, sources stated that Fidan will express satisfaction with the growing understanding between the two countries in these areas. He will highlight Ankara’s approval of Iraq’s official stance on the PKK and its anticipation that Baghdad will declare the party a terrorist organization and eradicate its presence entirely.

Türkiye continues its military operations against PKK militants in northern Iraq. Ankara and Baghdad have agreed to coordinate their efforts against the group through a memorandum of understanding on military and security cooperation and counterterrorism. This agreement was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler and his Iraqi counterpart Thabit Al-Abbasi during the fourth meeting of the High-Level Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara last August.

Fidan’s discussions will also address ways to enhance trade relations with Iraq, one of Türkiye’s most important economic partners, with a trade volume of $20 billion. He will call for the removal of artificial barriers to bilateral trade and reaffirm his country’s support for the strategic “Development Road” project, while emphasizing efforts to expedite its implementation.