Israel Has No Plans to Occupy Gaza, Says Blinken

Israeli authorities have no plans to occupy the Gaza Strip. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a press conference held in Tokyo.

"What I have heard from Israeli leadership is that they do not intend to re-occupy the Gaza Strip or re-establish their control there," RIA Novosti quoted the State Department representative as saying.

Previously, a senior adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister, Mark Regev, had stated that after defeating the Palestinian Hamas militant group, the security forces of the Jewish state would be present in the Gaza Strip for some time. However, the official emphasized that this does not mean an occupation of Gaza or direct control.

The Gaza Strip was under Israeli control from 1967 to 2005, following the Six-Day War. In 2005, Israeli leadership withdrew its forces from Gaza as part of a unilateral disengagement plan. Two years later, power in the region passed to Hamas.