Blinken to present post-war plan for Gaza

Secretary of State Tony Blinken will lay out a plan for rebuilding and governing Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war on January 14, three US officials tell Axios.

Blinken is down to his last week in Foggy Bottom, but he hopes his blueprint will become a reference point for any future day-after plan for Gaza, including for the incoming Trump administration.

Blinken will lay out his plan in a speech at the Atlantic Council on Tuesday morning amid efforts to conclude a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.

President-elect Donald Trump told Newsmax on Monday night that Israel and Hamas are "very close" to a deal. "I understand that there has been a handshake and they are getting it finished — maybe by the end of the week," he said. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is participating in the negotiations in Doha.

A plan for the post-Hamas governance structure in Gaza would be crucial for efforts to implement the second phase of the Gaza deal, which is designed to lead to a permanent ceasefire and the end of the war.

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