Blinken reportedly holding back on presenting post-Gaza war plan until after election

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is reportedly thinking about waiting until after the November presidential elections to present a post-war Gaza plan, Axios reported Wednesday.

The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has engulfed the Middle East since last October and has shown no signs of stopping, even as the U.S. has tried to intervene and broker a ceasefire. Blinken, who has been heavily involved in ceasefire negotiations, is now reportedly thinking that he will wait until after the November election to propose a plan negotiated jointly by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to essentially govern Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war is over — but the plan is unpopular even within Blinken’s ranks, officials from the U.S., Israel, UAE, and Palestinian Authority told Axios.

The idea to present the proposal after the November elections came about during a sideline discussion between Blinken and a senior UAE and Israeli diplomat at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in mid-September, officials told Axios. The Emirates had initially created the plan, but the Israelis had issues with the terms and wanted Blinken to help bridge gaps.

Blinken’s tenure has been particularly fraught with problems, including the current Middle East conflict — which now involves several different players — the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and tensions with an increasingly hostile China, which is working through various bad acts to try to undermine the U.S. The Secretary of State recently signaled that he has no interest in staying in his role in a potential Harris administration after Biden leaves the Oval Office in January.

The deal is highly complex. It would see an international force deploy into Gaza to help govern the region and provide law enforcement in the interim, according to Axios. The Emirates could send their own soldiers to help police the enclave.

The deal rests on the Palestinian Authority — which governs over Gaza currently, even though Hamas is the de facto ruler over the region — agreeing to the deal, so long as it takes “meaningful reforms and [is] led by a new prime minister who is empowered and independent,” officials told Axios. It would also have to include a credible vision for a future two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

But there are too many disagreements over terms between the Israelis and the UAE over the deal, officials told Axios. The Palestinian authority also seems doubtful about the potential agreement.

“Playing with Gaza governance is too dangerous. Any mistake could kill the Palestinian national project,” a senior Palestinian Authority official told Axios.

There’s another problem; the proposal is a highly contentious issue within the State Department, and some officials don’t appear to agree with Blinken’s way of thinking, officials told Axios. There have been closed-door debates between Blinken and senior State officials over the deal. Some officials believe that Blinken’s adviser on the matter, Jaime Rubin, isn’t competent.

“The White House doesn’t like him and many people in the State Department who deal with this issue don’t take him seriously, but he is a voice on this and he is close to Blinken,” one U.S. official told Axios.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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