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Bloomberg
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken kicked off a Middle East diplomatic mission with a pledge to help reconstruction efforts in Gaza, left battered after a destructive 11-day
conflict with Israel.
Standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Blinken said he will specify an aid package to the Palestinians later on Tuesday. The US will ensure that Hamas —the militant movement that governs the Gaza Strip that is also designated a terrorist group by the US, European Union and others —“does not benefit†from international efforts to rebuild the isolated enclave, Blinken said.
Blinken reiterated the US’s commitment to Israel’s right of self-defense, adding that he is working on replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, which intercepted many rockets from Gaza that would have otherwise struck civilian targets. While the two allies appeared in sync about their approach to the Palestinians, there appeared to be some distance between them about Biden administration’s intention to revive a deal that would end economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program.
Israel is vehemently opposed to resuscitating the accord with Iran, which it regards as its biggest national security threat, and had backed former US President Donald Trump when he pulled out of the agreement.
The 2015 nuclear deal with Iran “paves the way for Iran to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons with international legitimacy,†Netanyahu said. The US will consult “closely with Israel†about the discussions in Vienna to rejoin the nuclear deal, while at the same time “continue to work together to counter Iran’s destabilising actions in the region,†Blinken said.
Reconstruction is always complicated in Gaza because Israel and donor countries don’t want money or materials to fall into Hamas hands, a State Department official told reporters.