Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Tel Aviv, Israel
Ben Gurion Airport
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good morning, everyone. Since October 7th a year ago, Israel has achieved most of its strategic objectives when it comes to Gaza, all with the idea of making sure that October 7th could never happen again. In the space of the year, it’s managed to dismantle Hamas’s military capacity. It’s destroyed much of its arsenal. It’s eliminated its senior leadership, including, most recently, Yahya Sinwar. This has come at the cost – the great cost – of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Now is the time to turn those successes into an enduring strategic success, and there are really two things left to do: get the hostages home and bring the war to an end with an understanding of what will follow. And that’s what we’ve been working on this past day and will continue to work on throughout this trip.
When it comes to the hostages, I met again with hostage families last night, including the families of the seven Americans who remain in Gaza. And that reinforces once again for me and for all of us the urgency, the imperative of bringing them home, bringing all of them home. We talked about the plan that we’ve had on the table and the work that we’re doing on that plan, looking at new frameworks of foreign relations as a possibility. We talked about the importance of determining whether Hamas is prepared to engage in moving forward, and the Egyptians, the Qataris are doing just that. But I believe that with Sinwar gone, because he was the primary obstacle for realizing the hostage agreement, there is a real opportunity to bring them home and to accomplish the objective.
With regard to what follows in Gaza, this is critical, because we have to end the war in a way that keeps Hamas out, makes sure that Israel doesn’t stay. And Israel does not want to stay, but we have to have clear, concrete plans for what follows. So we’re spending a lot of time focused on that question, talking not only to Israelis but talking to many Arab parties. We’ve had these conversations for some time. I’ll be pursuing them in the days ahead as we meet with our partners both here and in Europe. And we’re working to get clear understandings for Gaza’s governance, for its security, for its reconstruction, and what the international community can do to help and help Palestinians rebuild their lives.
Even as all of this is happening, it’s absolutely essential that humanitarian assistance get to the people who need it in Gaza. And as you know, a couple of weeks ago Secretary Austin and I wrote to the defense minister, the strategic affairs minister with a list of things that need to happen in order for assistance to get more effectively to people who need that assistance. So we went over that in some detail yesterday, and I can report that there’s progress made, which is good, but more progress needs to be made. And most critically, it needs to be sustained. We’ve had periods before where the Israelis have increased what they’re doing only to see it fall back. So we’re tracking this very, very, very carefully, and we went over it in some detail.
Finally, even as we’re dealing with Gaza, with the hostages, with the humanitarian situation, it’s also been an imperative for us to try to make sure that this conflict doesn’t spread. We are resolute in our defense of Israel when it comes to attacks it’s receiving Iran, from Iran’s proxies, and we stand with Israel, and we’ll always stand with Israel in its defense. It’s also very important that Israel respond in ways that do not create greater escalation and do not risk spreading the conflict.
With Hizballah and Lebanon, we’re working intensely to reach agreements on the effective implementation of 1701, the UN Security Council resolution that, many years ago, should have avoided what we’re seeing now but didn’t because it’s never been implemented. It’s absolutely critical that the parties – and notably, Hizballah – be moved back from the border, that the Lebanese Armed Forces are able to assume their responsibilities, and that we can create an environment in which people on both sides of the border can return to their homes in peace and security.
That’s what we’re driving at, spent a lot of time on that as well. My colleague Amos Hochstein was in Lebanon at the same time, and this is what we’re driving toward, a peaceful diplomatic resolution, which is the only enduring way to make sure that there is peace and stability across the border and people can get on with their lives.
I’ll stop there and take any questions.
MR MILLER: Andrea.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Andrea.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, good morning. You said that there has been progress. I want to ask you about the humanitarian crisis in north Gaza. Independent experts, like Cindy McCain of the World Food Programme, say it is a disaster, that children are malnourished with lifelong health effects – those who are not already starving. The population is being decimated. The attacks continue, contrary to what you said about Israel having accomplished its initial goals. And according to these experts, Israel is blocking aid from getting in with unreasonable searches at the border and other obstacles so that food is not getting to the people who desperately need it. You said there’s been progress. What evidence do you have of that, and what more still needs to be done?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: So Andrea, this is exactly why we’re so intensely focused on this issue. It’s why Secretary Austin and I wrote to our counterparts here in Israel. It’s why we insisted that they take concrete and specific actions to improve the situation, to enable food not only to get to Gaza – and there are trucks getting to Gaza. A big part of the challenge is once they’re there, it’s moving them around within Gaza. There are a lot of challenges that go along with that, including lawlessness, including looting. But Israel has to maximize everything it has under its control in order to get the food in.
Since that letter, yes, we’ve seen progress, but it’s not enough. We’ve seen progress in the opening of the Erez crossing. We’ve seen progress in the reanimation of the Jordanian corridor. We’ve seen progress in the opening of a fifth crossing point and other steps that have been taken. We have a list of things that we’re going through one by one, systematically, with our Israeli counterparts to make sure that they follow through on. And we’ve told them very clearly in the letter that we expect these steps to be taken within 30 days but starting immediately. They have started, and we’re tracking this, as I say, every single day. We have senior officials from the department whose job is to focus on that every day. That’s exactly what they’re doing.
The measure, though, is: Are people getting what they need? That’s what we’re looking at, and it has to be done in a sustained way. Back in April, I wrote a similar letter.
QUESTION: Exactly.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: And at that point, the letter didn’t become public. This one did. But we saw the improvements in April, and then we saw it go on a downward trajectory again. That’s what caused Secretary Austin and I to write again. That’s what’s causing us right now to have this intense focus, even as we’re trying to get to an end of conflict in Gaza, bring the hostages home, even as we’re dealing with Lebanon, even as we’re dealing with Iran.
QUESTION: I mean, in April, you warned them. Why wasn’t that warning enough once they backslid?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Because we saw – we saw them take action, we saw concrete improvements, and then, as we saw it abate again —
QUESTION: Is it an empty threat to withhold the weapons, as is congressionally mandated by law?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: I am determined to follow the law. I will follow the law.
MR MILLER: Hudson.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you came to Israel to meet Netanyahu while his own ministers are holding a conference on the border of Gaza about reestablishing settlements there and extending and deepening Israel’s occupation. Did you raise this with Netanyahu? And secondly, we’re headed to Saudi Arabia next, where you’ve been working on a deal to enter a permanent defense pact with the Saudis. Do you think that’s the message voters want to hear, that now is the time to further commit American lives and treasure in the Middle East?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: So John, I think you’re referring to the so-called generals’ plan. Am I correct? These are retired generals who have proposed a plan for —
QUESTION: But also the reoccupying Gaza – the settlers were meeting, and ministers of Netanyahu’s own government were saying: Let’s resettle Gaza.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, I can be very clear on that because I’ve been clear on that for the last year. We fully reject it. We reject any Israeli reoccupation of Gaza. I said so in Tokyo a year ago. It’s been U.S. policy; it will remain U.S. policy. And it’s also, to the best of my understanding, the policy of the Israeli Government. That’s what I heard from the prime minister, who is the authoritative word on this. So whatever they say, whether it’s retired generals or some members of the government, that is not the policy of the government, and it is certainly not the policy of the United States. We reject it.
Right now, the focus needs to be on getting the hostages home, ending this war, and having a clear plan for what follows. That’s been the focus of our conversations. That’s going to be the focus of the conversations going forward. With Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia is a critical player in virtually all of these issues, whether it’s potentially Gaza and plans for what follows the end of the war, whether it’s Lebanon, whether it’s dealing with challenges posed by Iran – we’ll be talking about all of that.
But more broadly, there remains, despite everything that’s happened, an incredible opportunity in this region to move in a totally different direction, one that actually provides, in a durable way, for Israel’s security, for its place in the region, a country that’s integrated, working with its Arab partners, accepted by them, isolating Iran and those who are trying to disrupt and destroy people’s lives. You’ve got an axis of resistance on the one hand; you can see a partnership for peaceful coexistence on the other hand. Saudi Arabia would be right at the heart of that, and that includes, potentially, normalization of relations of Israel. That remains an issue that’s real, that’s possible, and that we’re going to be talking about, as we have over these many months.
But one of the things that’s so important – as we’re dealing with the day-in, day-out and the incredible challenges that each of these different areas poses – is also to keep your eyes on the strategic prize, to keep the focus on where this can go in a positive way – just as we know where it can go in a very negative way – and to continue to work to get on that positive trajectory. Because that’s clearly what’s going to be in the interest of people throughout the region, including people here in Israel. The vast majority of people want a secure life. They want a prosperous life; they want some opportunity. They want to be able to go about their daily lives in a normal way. That’s what’s driving people, and I can see a future where we can realize those ambitions for people. So we have to keep the focus there, even as we’re dealing with these acute challenges in the moment.
Thanks —
QUESTION: Can you take Netanyahu at his word that he’s not going to resettle Gaza, he’s not going to let his right-wing cabinet move in and reoccupy?
SECRETARY BLINKEN: All I can tell you is that is the stated policy of the Government of Israel, and it is definitely the stated policy of the Government of the United States and one we will insist on.
QUESTION: Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thanks.
QUESTION: Thank you.
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