US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel’s post-war plan for Gaza is “essential” as he continues his Middle East tour to press for a permanent ceasefire in the Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

The senior diplomat stressed that his discussions with Israeli and Arab leaders will also prioritize plans once the war in Gaza ends, where the Israeli military offensive has been severely affected. Damaged infrastructure And Destroyed neighborhoods.

“It is important that we continue to work on plans for the next day, to make sure that when it comes to security in Gaza, when it comes to governance, when it comes to reconstruction, that we have plans in place to move forward,” Blinken said. “This will be an important part of my conversations here.” In the region.”

CNN’s Kylie Atwood asked if he’s concerned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t We have a plan To end hostilities, Blinken responded:

“In the absence of those plans, one of three things – either Israel, which says it doesn’t want to and we believe it shouldn’t, will be left holding the bag in Gaza and potentially have a major insurgency on its hands for years to come. Or in the absence of a plan, Hamas will lose, or we will have a complete vacuum, and you will only have chaos, lawlessness, criminality, jihadist groups, etc. So it is necessary to have a plan.”