Antony Blinken urges Israel to engage with region on plans for post-war Gaza

Antony Blinken (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has called on Israel to work with moderate Palestinians and neighbouring countries on plans for post-war Gaza, saying they are willing to help rebuild and govern the territory if there is a “pathway to a Palestinian state”.

The US and Israel are united in the war against Hamas but sharply divided over Gaza’s future, with Washington and its Arab allies hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process, an idea that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners sharply oppose.