No 'rigorous planning' from Israel for end of Gaza war: US State Department

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The State Department said Tuesday that the US has yet to see a "rigorous" plan by Israel for the end of the war in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 36,000 Palestinians.

Speaking at a press briefing, spokesman Matthew Miller said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz made statements about possible day after scenarios.

"I have not seen the kind of rigorous planning for the end of the conflict that we think is essential," said Miller. "Without a plan for the day after, there won't be a day after. Without a plan for post-conflict governance and some kind of political transition, you're not going to have an end of the conflict."

"You're just going to have a continued insurgency and Israel being bogged down," he added.

Regarding the three-phase truce proposed by Israel on cease-fire in the blockaded enclave, Miller said Tel Aviv is ready to fulfill the deal. "So we are convinced that is the case that Israel is ready to implement this deal. As I said, it's their proposal, proposal put forward by the government and they have maintained to us they're ready to implement," he said.

The spokesman said the deal is in front of Hamas "and it is to Hamas to accept or reject or come back and say they want to further negotiate the deal, but it's just the facts of it that Israel has agreed to this proposal and now stands with Hamas".

The US has not seen any response from Hamas yet, he added.